Humanity's Last Hope
by Valar Ipradtis
Summary: As much as Artemis hated to admit, they needed men in the world. It was men who had gold, and men who ruled. She's always understood that fact ever since she formed this mercenary group of young girls. But what now… with the apocalypse seemingly descending upon the world, she needs to rely on men more than ever. This infuriating man with green eyes. PercyxHunters. No gods.
1. Contract to Kill

**AN:**

 **Sorry for such a long delay. The old story had hit an obstacle due to it not having a clear direction it was headed in, and I was not satisfied with the way I wrote certain characters. So this will be a complete rewrite of Humanity's Last Hope. While the concept of the old story will stay the same, many details will be changed, making it essentially a different story. I hope this will be much better than the old one.**

 **Just for some context of this world: The gods don't exist, so Artemis is just as human as all of her hunters and everyone else. The story takes place in a medieval setting, so castles, kingdoms, and knights...**

 **These first few chapters will act as a better introduction than the one I had in the previous story, but don't be afraid, it won't take long to get into the meat of the plot.**

 **Thanks.**

* * *

Ch. 1 Contract to Kill

Artemis sneered internally at the lecherous gaze from the man before her. She tried to hide her disgust, but the man must have noticed as he leered even more openly at her chest that protruded from her hunting gear. Artemis had to calm herself before she reached for the bow strapped behind her back. If she wanted to, she could've shot an arrow through his eye and out the back of his skull before anyone can blink, but it would not do well for her or her hunt, to strike down their client before even reaching a deal.

There was also the problem of the crown that sat upon the man's head. No matter how much of a pig he looked sitting on his throne, Artemis couldn't just kill a king without consequences. The twenty guards in the throne room and undoubtedly hundreds more in the castle would make escaping very difficult. _Not impossible, but very difficult._

Artemis truly weighed the odds before relaxing her arms by her side once again. If word got around that the leader of The Hunt went around killing their clients, they can kiss goodbye any future contracts. And without the gold from their missions, The Hunt would not be able to sustain themselves for more than a month.

Artemis hated to admit, but it was men who ruled the world. These lazy men who'd done nothing in their life but be born into the right family… if there was a divine power in this world, it had to be just another chauvinistic pig like the rest of the disgusting males on Earth. If she hoped to ensure food and supplies for her Hunt, she would have to work with this man no matter how much her hands twitched to kill him.

The man in front of her also seemed aware of the fact, and there he sat in his smug cowardice, ogling at her from behind his armed guards. "Where are the rest of your girls, Artemis?" the King began feigning confusion, "I'm paying quite a price for your service if you're by yourself."

Artemis felt bile at her throat at the crude suggestions the king was making. On top of the fact that the king was undressing her with his eyes made her sick to the stomach. "Enough with these pretenses, Gabriel. Let's get to the point. I'm here for negotiations, not your silly games."

One of his guards stepped forward in outrage. "It's 'your grace' to you commoner. Kneel before your king lest you incur the wrath of his holy greatness." His armor and shield shined brightly, the gold plating having not seen a day in true combat. He was obviously the captain of the Kingsguard, but he was no less a fool. The King claims himself a God amongst men, and his subjects follow him in blind devotion, unwilling to see the truth behind his acts.

Artemis only turned her gaze slightly to the captain, unfazed by his weak intimidation, her eyes daring him to challenge her further. The fool almost did before the King stepped in, "There's no need for that Captain Robert, foreigners fail to see the truth we do. I'll let it slide this time."

King Gabriel may have been a foolish monarch, but he knew better than to provoke Artemis. He had never contracted the Hunt for their services, but reputation alone made him wary of them. It took a special collection of talent and skill, along with a long history of success, for a female mercenary force to become the best in the business. And if rumors held true, the hunt would be consisted entirely of girls that were far younger than the soldiers in his army. How Artemis managed to accomplish that feat in such a short period of time, he'll never understand. His men would fight to the death, but he doubt they'd put up much of a fight even against the legendary Hunt. _All the more reason he wanted them._

Begrudgingly, the king allowed for Artemis' defiance and chose to proceed with the negotiations. "As promised, the thirty thousand gold pieces will be presented upon the completion of the mission," King Gabriel stated before adding, "Once we see the head of course, you must understand such evidence is required for this type of task."

"You doubt our skill?" Artemis challenged with a raised eyebrow, "I'd think that our accomplishments dispelled any questions towards our competency. I can ensure you whoever you target is will be killed."

"Not at all, Artemis," King Gabriel said with false courtesy, "I simply have to confirm the prize for which I'm paying such a high amount. You must understand, thirty thousand gold pieces is no small price even for a country as wealthy as mine."

"Very well," Artemis conceded, "Though I do have to wonder, whose head would garner such high compensation. I've murdered men of royalty such as yourself for far less." Artemis smirked at the slight gulp from the king.

With their illustrious history of success, also came a slew of enemies that they've acquired, many of which due to parties being on the wrong end of a deal with the Hunt. If they lost business due to the sheer fact of victimizing their potential clients, Artemis tried not to worry about that. The dangerous reputation they gained was far more than enough to make up for their losses.

King Gabriel put aside the intimidation he felt with a false smile. "Just a common sellsword, no different than the men in this room right now."

"Then why do you want him dead so badly?" Artemis questioned, her senses telling her this was far more than a simple assassination mission. She had no doubt the man on the throne was a manipulative worm, with his slimy voice. Remarkably, throughout this entire conversation, he'd managed to ogle at her breasts without breaking stare. He had to be the most disgusting king she's met thus far. Artemis was glad she hadn't brought her hunters to this meeting, being visually undressed was the last thing she wished upon her girls.

"I do not believe that information is required for you to complete your task Artemis, but if you insist to know, he's simply someone who has wronged my family in the past, and I need to see him dead." Taking Artemis' silence as a sign of acceptance, the king stood from his throne, and all of his guards shuffled uniformly to attention. "If that is all, I believe we're done here for today. You're welcome to discuss any further details with my fellow councilmen, who I'm sure are writing up the contract as we speak."

"Yes just one more thing," Artemis interrupted as King Gabriel turned to leave, "The Hunt requires a partial payment in advance as a guarantee of your intention to follow through with our full payment. You must understand, just as you need your confirmation, we need our guarantees." Artemis put on a false smile as she threw his words back at him.

"How much?" King Gabriel grumbled, allowing his annoyance to shine through.

"Ten thousand gold pieces." Artemis answered strongly.

"I'm afraid not." All pretenses of courtesy were gone from his voice. "We can't risk someone potentially running off with such a large sum of our gold. Plus, we simply don't carry that amount in our reserves. There would be no way for me to pay you before your mission, it would take at least a few days for me to gather that amount."

Artemis sneered at the king before her. "You're not fooling anyone Gabriel. I know you have more than twice that amount just in your personal depository. Our reputation alone should be enough for your guarantee for the completion of this mission. Though I cannot offer any guarantees of the availability of our services should you refuse this payment. There are quite a few offers for your own head that I'd be more than inclined to accept."

"...Tch…" King Gabriel grit his teeth in anger and in defeat. "Fine! Have what you will." He turned to the captain of his guards to bark out an order. "Have the Master of Coin procure a wagon and a platoon of guards to accompany the Lady back to her camp. It would be a shame if she were to lose her life along with all that gold she needs so badly." He tried to regain some dignity through that thinly veiled threat.

Artemis only smirked at his attempt. "There's no need to worry, _your grace._ " She began, voice dripping with sarcasm, "I'll be quite fine on my own, your men would only slow me down… The wagon would be quite helpful though if you'd please." Artemis gave a small bow for good measure, mocking the king one last time as he stalked off angrily, muttering whispers unintelligible to Artemis' ear.

 _Soon… you'll be mine, you and all your little sluts. I'll enjoy playing with the whole pack of you._ King Gabriel let out a small chuckle at the thought of his darkest pleasures.

* * *

(Back in the Hunt's Camp)

Zoë entered the tent to see Artemis sat at her desk, peering down at a scroll in slight confusion. Her eyebrows were furrowed as if trying to find some clues within the lines on the parchment.

"M'lady?" Zoë hesitated to disturb her leader, but it was important for the Hunt to receive their next orders. Judging by the large wagon full of gold Artemis dragged in this morning, the negotiations for the mission was a success.

Zoë trusted Artemis like family, but she had to wonder what type of mission she'd gotten them into this time. From just a rough count, there were about ten thousand gold coins, and the last time the Hunt took on a mission with that type of reward, they were tasked with winning an entire war. They lost many of their hunters in that battle, but in the end, they succeeded in their mission, just like every other. For a client to have paid this much gold up front, Zoë was slightly afraid of what they had to do this time.

"Has the gold been secured?" Artemis asked, looking up from the scroll towards her lieutenant. Though Zoë was a few years younger than her, just barely out of her teens, Artemis trusted her fully to run the Hunt while she was away with negotiations or solo missions. While she had not been the first hunter she found, Zoë was definitely the most capable. And in their years together, the pair had grown to be closer than sisters.

"Yes m'lady. They're locked in the chests and guarded at all times." Artemis gave a short nod and returned her gaze to the scroll on the desk. "M'lady, if I may… we need orders regarding the new mission, especially one of this... magnitude."

Artemis gave no immediate answer, only giving the scroll one last look before beckoning her lieutenant towards her desk. "What do you see in this, Zoë?" She asked, turning the piece of parchment around.

Zoë skimmed through it quickly but thoroughly, trying to discern Artemis' point. "Northern soldier turned sellsword… no known family… last seen hunting in the neighboring forests." She muttered as she read through the information of the scroll. A sketch of the man accompanied the description to the side. _Clean shaven, young with short jet-black hair._ "M'lady, I'm afraid I don't quite understand… Is this a bounty?"

"N-, well in a way… it's our next mission." Artemis responded.

Zoë glanced back at her leader with the same confused expression she sported herself earlier. "What's special about this man to have a ten thousand gold pieces kill order on his head?"

"Thirty thousand." Artemis corrected only for Zoë's eyes to widen even further. "Ten thousand was just the arranged prepayment. The rest would be paid upon completion."

"An ignorant king with a vendetta perhaps?" Zoë suggested, "They have so much gold they don't know what to do with it."

"Perhaps…" Artemis pondered the possibility for a second before shaking her head. "The king's a fool but even he wouldn't go that far for a common sellsword. Plus he has an entire army at his disposal. There has to be more to it than what he lets on."

"In any case, we should exercise extreme caution in dealing with this target." Zoë nodded in agreement before Artemis continued. "Take ten hunters with you and make sure to bring him back alive. I have some questions myself before I had him over to the king."

"Are you sure we'll need that many m'lady?" Zoë questioned, "However skilled he may be, he's just one man."

"Yes." Artemis answered without hesitation. "In fact, take fifteen with you. I don't want any hunters dead or injured. I have half a mind to lead the mission myself but…"

"No m'lady. You should stay in camp where we need you most." Zoë interrupted to remind her leader. "Word has surely gotten out by now that we have a huge amount of gold on our hands. Any bandit foolish or brave enough to test us can certainly pose a threat no matter how insignificant they may seem. Let me handle this. I promise to bring this man in without losing any of our hunters."

Artemis gave a short nod, and Zoë exited the tent after a quick salute to gather her squad. She had the utmost confidence in her lieutenant, and yet this stirring sense in her gut refuses to dissipate no matter how many times she repeated that thought.

* * *

"Keep an eye out for any activity." Zoë ordered the rest of her group. She kept her voice low to avoid the sound carrying out over the forest, even though her senses told her there was not an enemy within a mile. If possible, Zoë would like to keep the element of surprise on their side. They outnumbered their target sixteen to one, but Zoë will still take the easier victory any day.

Some of her fellow hunters, however, didn't seem to share her thoughts. "No need to be so uptight, lieutenant. We have to have some fun once in a while."

Zoë turned to the source of that voice ― Atalanta had always been a free and easy-going spirit, but in these times, Zoë really wished she'd take things more seriously. "In case you've forgotten, this mission is as important, if not more so, than all the other missions. There's time for fun and this in not one of them."

Atalanta responded with a playful pout and returned to her place in their scouting formation. Not a couple seconds later, another voice sounded from behind this time from a different hunter.

"Though you have to admit Zoë, this has to be one of the easiest missions we've had in a while," Phoebe said, "With all the gold from this, we may be set for the entire year."

Zoë didn't have a response to her point. Phoebe had joined the hunt back around the same time as Zoë, and she too realized how significant the amount of gold was. The Hunt was a fairly large mercenary group with more than fifty hunters, but thirty thousand gold pieces will be more than enough to last through two winters especially if the wilderness allowed them to be self-sufficient through hunting.

That was one of the perks of traveling across the continent for potential clients. They never ran out of wildlife to hunt, and as such, many if not all had become experts at it. The art of tracking, camouflage, and marksmanship… they were considered the best for a reason. These skills also lent them the greatest strength in missions like this ― a manhunt. Especially in a terrain that heavily favored the mobile hunting gear, it was hard to imagine the hunters not having overwhelming odds stacked in their favor.

 _But still there was never any harm in being more cautious._ "The uncertainty lies within the identity of our target, Phoebe." Zoë explained as she slowed the formation to a halt to study the tracks in the ground. So far, all evidence pointed towards the prey being alone, with the sole set of tracks leading deeper into the forest. "There has to be more than what we're told. A bounty like that isn't just placed upon any random sellsword."

Phoebe waved off the notion dismissively. "Even of he's the best swordsmen in the world, I doubt he'll even get close to us." She shook her head at the thought of those clumsy knights in their heavy armor. "Men like to think their brute strength and long swords make the mightiest fighters when swiftness and agility will beat them everytime. When will they learn to curb their stupid arrogance and learn that they're no match for us."

Zoë gave a disapproving look towards Phoebe. "If you keep talking like that, you'll be no better than them." Phoebe returned the comment with a mock glare of her own. "There's always someone out there in the world that is better than you at what you do best. You'd do well to learn that lesson, Phoebe." Zoë scolded.

"...Tch… I'll believe it when I see it." Phoebe responded and not a second later, two thuds sounded from the back of their formation and the bodies of the tailing hunters hit the forest dirt.

Without having to give a signal, the remaining thirteen hunters and herself dropped into a crouch and nocked their bows within an instant. Zoë looked up towards the high hanging branches of the forest trying to locate their attacker to no avail. She silently berated herself for letting her guard down. Perhaps the lax attitudes of her fellow hunters had spread to her as well dulling her otherwise highly alert senses.

She should have picked up the signs far sooner. The dense forest was eerily silent when it should be teeming with wildlife, and the tracks seemed too perfect, almost as if their prey had deliberately left them clearly visible.

Zoë let out a silent curse as she checked up on the two hunters on the ground. The only hint towards their current state were the small darts stuck in the side of their necks. _Poison…_ she thought with a grimace. Her only hope was that they were tranquilizers and not something more lethal. Zoë quickly gave a signal to the remaining hunters to group up with their backs towards each other. If they had no visual on their attacker, they needed every angle of their surroundings covered.

 _Seems he's not just some fool swinging a long piece of metal_ , Zoë thought as she shot a quick glance towards her hunters. Phoebe and Atalanta looked like they were finally taking the situation seriously. For someone to sneak up on them, even if they were momentarily distracted, was a feat on its own. Whoever was capable of _that_ , was a threat to be considered.

All the hunters had their bows nocked and pointed towards the thick canopy of the forest, scanning for their enemy. Their muscles were tensed with anticipation for what's to come. If they kept a sharp lookout, if would be impossible for the attacker to storm and take out all the remaining hunters. Though the forests were thick, they were currently in a clearing with a decent space in every direction. There was no sneaking up on them now.

The enemy seemed to have the same thoughts as a projectile flew from Zoë's right headed right for the center of the group. Phoebe quickly released her bowstring to reach for the hunting dagger at her hip. In one fluid motion, she drew and parried the projectile with her dagger.

Phoebe realized it was a mistake only too late. Instead of the dart she'd hoped to deflect, the projectile was a small dark sphere, roughly the size of a large medicine pill. Upon contact, the projectile exploded in a silent _poof_ , spraying a strong, dark powder across the clearing.

Phoebe, being the closest to the explosion took the brunt of the damage. The powder blinded her eyes and burned her throat as she choked. The rest of the hunters didn't fare much better. Any advantage they had in numbers disappeared as their visual capacity was taken away. Zoë had trouble seeing the bow in her own hands, they had no chance of actually hitting their target.

 _This is bad,_ Zoë thought, her heart slowly start to raise in panic, _we have no idea what we're dealing with, and we don't know where the enemy's coming from._

"Prepare for close quarter combat!" Zoë barked over the clouds of black smoke, abandoning all attempts to be silent. There was no point… the enemy knew exactly where they were and stealth was the last of her concerns at the moment.

Fighting through the urge to cough from the powder, the hunters drew their twin daggers from their hip and readied for battle. They would have to rely on their other senses in this fight.

Zoë's trained ears were only able to pick up a soft ruffling sound before hell descended upon them. There were no screams of pain or anguish, only the sound of a blade slicing through the air, cutting down her hunters with ease. Zoë could do nothing but watch helplessly as the hunters around her began dropping like flies. Their attacker sped across the clearing like a dark blur, his presence masked perfectly by the thick smoke.

 _If we stay any longer, we'll all be wiped out_. Zoë waved her arms around wildly, trying desperately to disperse the smoke slightly. A slight glint flashed at the corner of her eyes and she brought her daggers up just in time to block the incoming strike. Zoë danced around the blade to slash to attacker's arms, but he was too quick for her. By now the smoke had gotten significantly thinner, and Zoë was able to make out a slight silhouette of the figure before her. He wore a dark hooded cloak that stopped above his knees and black leather pants below them. The hood hide his features, but the light from the sun was just enough to shine through the shadows and reveal a pair of green orbs staring from the darkness.

Zoë looked around her hunters and found only three of them still standing. Phoebe, who somehow survived despite being caught in the middle of the explosion; Atalanta, who wasn't faring much better with black powder smeared across her skin like soot; and finally herself.

They were perhaps three of the strongest hunters and yet they were uncertain of the odds of this fight. The hooded figure stood in front of them unflinchingly as if inviting them to make the first move. He held a thin sword with an edge that was coated red with her hunter's blood, and he seemed unfazed by the three-on-one.

Both sides measured the other up before everyone burst into action. They sped towards one another covering the distance faster than the eye can blink. Zoë reached the hooded figure first and they clashed in a loud rain of sparks, each not giving up an inch of an opening. Phoebe and Atalanta were not far behind as they circled around to surround the lone enemy.

Seeing the predicament, the hooded figure twisted in the air, sending a crushing kick to the side of Zoë's head that was barely blocked in time. An excruciating pain shot through her left arm as Zoë was sent skidding to the ground, her head crashing harshly to the dirt.

 _God that hurt…_ Zoë grimaced through the pain as she laid dazed, the air knocked out of her lungs. _Had that been a normal person on the receiving end of that kick, he could've easily crushed their entire shoulder._

Zoë looked towards the fight to see Phoebe and Atalanta fighting even more furiously seeing their lieutenant fall. They rushed at the hooded figure with incredible speed and attacked him with their twin daggers simultaneously, but it was all to no avail. Even through her blurry eyes, she could tell that the hooded figure was holding them back with ease. _If she didn't rejoin the fight, her hunters would have no chance._

Zoë pushed herself off the ground with her arms and nearly collapsed right back... _her forearm was definitely broken._ Holding her left arm limply at her side and gripping her dagger tightly in her right, Zoë charged back into the fight.

If she was outmatched before her injury, she was even more so now with only one arm. The hooded figure blocked an overhead strike from her easily with his blade before sending a back kick into Phoebe's stomach, the force lifting her off the ground. She landed in a crumpled heap a few meters away lifeless like a doll. Zoë couldn't afford to waste any of her attention and focused solely on her opponent.

She ducked low and spun around to perform a sweeping leg kick. It was far too slow to catch her opponent off guard, but she'd hoped it served as a sufficient distraction. Atalanta was closing in on him fast from behind and saw Zoe's intention.

Unfortunately, so did the hooded figure.

He leapt high in the air and backflipped over the outstretched dagger from Atalanta. Her last ditch effort had left her exposed to the enemy and a quick strike to the back of her head finished her off. Darkness took over Atalanta's mind as she fell limply to the ground.

Zoë was the only hunter remaining.

Despite her confidence in her own skill, she saw the true hopelessness of the situation. None of them were likely to make it out alive. Tears filled her eyes as she surveyed the surroundings. All of her companions laid lifelessly on the ground, fifteen of her hunters who she'd come to befriend and love. It hurt more than when she was taken away from her family at the age of five.

She had failed Artemis. All the hunters on the mission would die because of her negligence and incompetence. _I promised..._ Zoë whispered to herself as she stared out at her fallen comrades.

The last image before she succumbed to the darkness was a pair of green eyes staring at her from above.


	2. Hostage

" _Hurry up Callie!"_

 _The sun had already begun to set in the horizon, the shadows of night beginning to creep through the trees in the forest. Two young girls hurdled over the thick tree roots as they made their way back to the village._

 _Zoë giggled as she felt a small rush of adrenaline, pumping her tiny legs as hard as she could. These small freedoms were all she had in life… that and her sister Calypso. Zoë glanced back and grabbed her sister's hand, who had begun to fall behind Zoë's faster pace._

" _We mustn't be trapped within the forest at night… or else we'll be eaten by the night monsters." Zoë strained to contain her giggle at the look of pure terror across her little sister's face. She may have turned five recently, but she still cowered in fear whenever Zoë told her scary bedtime stories. Zoë loved her sister like no other, but sometimes teasing her a bit was just too much fun._

 _The little girl began pumping her legs faster, checking over her shoulder frequently for the scary creatures._

" _We're almost there Callie, mother would be angry if we're late for dinner. C'mon, the village is just around the bend…" Zoë trailed off as she slowed to a halt, causing her sister to stumble into her back._

" _Zoë, what's wrong?" Her sister asked, looking up at her in question of their sudden stop._

 _Zoë felt a chill run down her back that emanated not from the dark forest behind, but from the familiar village in front. Several trees still blocked their view of their home, but Zoë knew something was wrong… something different._

 _At this time of day, the village would usually be bustling with activity, with the men returning from work and the family preparing food for the night. But the only sound Zoë's sharp ears were able to pick up was a series of quiet cracklings in the distance, an eerie silence that spelled disaster._

 _Taking a few small steps closer towards the village, Zoë was bombarded with a wave of heat that washed over her entire body. It was as if walking out from the shade on a hot summer day, the heat was both sudden and blistering. Zoë squinted her eyes and could just make out a warm orange glow along the treelines, the intensity growing by the second._

 _Zoë sped up her pace, dragging her sister along behind her and ignoring her constant stream of questions. Before long, she was faced with the worst of her fears._

 _A large fire engulfed the entire village, swallowing the frail wooden structures with ease. The flames danced high into the sky like a beacon of destruction, and the heat threatened to melt their faces off._

 _Zoë stood in shock at the scene before her, her mind unable to process the disaster._

" _Mother…" Zoë whispered in horror as she came to the realization. She took off into the heart of the village, where their house now burned in flames. A storm of thoughts crashing through her mind, and amidst the chaos, the shouts of her sister were drowned out behind her._

" _Wait! Zoë don't!... It's not safe...please, Zoë wai-"_

* * *

"... Zoë wake up… hurry before he gets back… Zoë!"

The faint voice echoed through her head, not making it any easier on her dizzying state. Neither was the person shaking her awake, each nudge sending more pain throughout her body.

Zoë gave a small grimace, slowly blinking her eyes open to find the source of the voice. Ginger strands of hair fell towards her, draping down like vines. Zoë squinted her eyes to find Phoebe staring down at her with a look of concern.

"Are you alright?" Phoebe asked, looking on worriedly as Zoë tried to sit up from her position, unable to use her arms to push up as they were tied behind her back. Her attempt to do so only reminded her of the excruciating pain in her left forearm, which was swollen to an unnatural amount. Zoë would have to get that checked out soon, or it'll only get worse.

Phoebe didn't look to be faring much better. Hands tied behind her back as well, she seemed to have regained consciousness not too long ago. Her face was smudged black, and her hair fell partially from the bun tied on top of her head. Memories began to filter in to Zoë from their encounter earlier in the day... it wasn't even a fight.

They had been decimated; the group of more than a dozen seasoned hunters downed before they even knew what hit them… by one opponent, no less. Realizing the danger they were still in, Zoë took a quick glance around her surroundings for signs of their foe. While Zoë was glad they were alive, being taken captive meant a whole other level of danger… especially for young girls such as themselves.

The scenery was similar to the place where the battle had taken place; it's safe to assume they were in the same forest, though where, Zoë couldn't tell. The treetops were slightly different, the branches thicker and denser, blocking out most of the sunlight.

Though the real surprise came when Zoë peered over the ledge that she's been seated on.

Below her was the forest ground… in clear view… hundreds of meters below her. The sight made her knees wobble slightly, and she yelped as she almost plummeted to her death. Zoë caught herself on a small protruding stump beside her and realized that they were not lying on the ground as she'd thought, but on the branch of a colossal tree that bloomed hundreds of meters into the air.

Zoë did her best to avoid the terrifying sight below them, tilting her head up slightly towards the sky. _A fall like that would last ages…_ _the terror of flailing through the air as they plummeted to their death. A prolonged misery for a quick and bloody mess at the end of it._

She felt bile rise up in her throat at the thought, but Zoë shook her head to divert her attention to the more important task at hand. She looked back towards Phoebe to find her carefully walking further down the branch where the rest of the hunters lay.

"We need to wake the others Zoë," Phoebe motioned to their fallen sisters, "But after that, I've got nothing. We need you to come up with a plan or this'll be the end of the road for us." Her voice was filled with determination, but Zoë saw the hint of defeat in her eyes. They both were at a loss for the situation.

Facing a seemingly untouchable foe... stranded hundreds of meters above ground… it was hard not to feel the hopelessness at that point.

And they truly _were_ stranded. While the height of the tree was nothing short of astonishing, the width of the trunk posed the real problem. It was so thick that standing next to it, the round sides almost seemed flat, making it impossible to latch onto for climbing. Which begs the question of how they got up here in the first place, or rather who was capable of carrying so many unconscious bodies with them.

Zoë had heard tales of these colossal trees in this strange kingdom, but she'd thought they were just that ― tales. The people here had named them god trees, a fitting name for they were a sight to behold. A marvelous display of nature that dwarfed any creation of man. It stood taller than any tower, its branches stretched wider than any castle walls, and it looked more indestructible than the strongest fortresses. She'd learned long ago not to trust the words of men, though this made her question some of the other "myths" she'd dismissed. These god trees littered the clearing, thick wooden beams reaching up as if to hold the sky.

"We should have known better than to travel here." Zoë muttered under her breath, cursing their carelessness. Artemis had grown more desperate as winter approached and wished to ensure the hunt had enough gold to buy clothing and food to prepare for the dwindling of wildlife. But it was no reason to lower their guard and venture into unfamiliar territory. "There's a reason why everyone stays away from these remote lands… something feels… unnatural."

Zoë put aside those feelings for now and moved to wake the other hunters. She turned to find one of her sisters slumped on her side, laying across the thick branch.

Zoë gently nudged her shoulder, her blonde hair moving aside to reveal Atalanta's face. Zoë let out a sigh of relief as she began to stir awake.

"You alright?" Zoë asked quietly, being careful not to alert anyone to their consciousness. _Who knew what their captor would do if he knew they'd woken up._

Atalanta took a few seconds to gather her surroundings before nodding her head slowly. "Just… my head hurts quite a bit." She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the pain, to no avail.

Zoë helped her to a better position at the fork of the branch, leaning against the thick trunk. Atalanta caught a glimpse of their current predicament and had a similar reaction to Zoë. Her head snapped towards the sky, averting her eyes from the huge fall below. She gulped in slight terror at the sight, her hands shaking despite being tied tightly behind her back.

"H-how did we end up here… How do we get out of this?" Atalanta asked, her eyes full of confusion and fear. Perhaps Atalanta was afraid of heights, but their situation would surely make any sane person quiver in fear.

The loud flaps of wings that echoed around the trees certainly didn't help. Humans were not meant for such heights. Man's ingenuity and creations allowed them to elevate themselves from the ground, but from such heights, any creature without wings will certainly meet a disastrous end. Zoë kept a sharp eye out for any strange animals lurking the treetops. She could only imagine what creatures these god trees were home to.

"Just rest for now." Zoë reassured, placing a comforting hand on Atalanta's shoulder, "We'll find a way… we always have."

She made her way carefully away from the trunk and down the branch, where Phoebe was bent over one of the hunters. Zoë noticed Phoebe had began to shake the hunter quite frantically to no response.

"Elizabeth… wake up… Elizabeth!" Phoebe urged, her panic leaking into her raising voice.

"What's wrong Phoebe?" Zoë asked as she approached the pair and knelt next to Elizabeth.

"She's not waking… i-it's like she's dea-" Phoebe voiced shakily before Zoë cut her off.

Turning around, Zoë reached for Elizabeth's neck the best she could with her arms tied behind her. It would have been easier to untie each other first, but looking at the intricate knot on Phoebe, it would have taken too much time… time they couldn't afford to spare.

Finally finding a subtle pulse in Elizabeth's neck, Zoë sagged in relief. "She's alive," Zoë reassured, "Though you could hardly see her breathing." The rise and fall in her chest was barely visible and Zoë could just feel the scarce exhale of air from her parted lips.

"Why is she not waking then?" Phoebe asked Zoë, "There seems to be nothing wrong with her."

"Elizabeth!... Wake-" Phoebe was cut off by a voice above them.

"Leave her be," He spoke, the quiet but clear voice vibrating throughout the treetops. The hunters froze in their place, shifting their gaze up to find their hooded enemy perched on a branch above them.

He leapt into the air, falling gracefully before landing on their branch. It was an impressive feat ― a five meter drop with hardly a sound as his cloak fell back in place silently. He stood face to face with the two hunter before him, features still hidden by his hood.

"You won't be able to wake her," he began. Zoë noticed the youth in his voice now that he was close. "The rest of them will be like that for a while."

Shaking herself out of her stupor, Zoë stood placing herself in front of Phoebe and her hunters in a battle stance… at least as much as she could with her hands tied behind her back.

"What did you do?!" Zoë snarled at their captor. She knew she had little chance against their enemy, especially without the hunting knives that were usually sheathed on her hip. Even her hidden blades were missing, inconspicuous knives strapped to the inside of her thigh. Living in a world like theirs, it was never a bad idea for young girls to have hidden weapons, but it seems their captor was smart enough to notice. The fact that a male patted her down so thoroughly while she was unconscious only made her angrier.

Zoë crouched slightly in her stance, prepared to defend should he try anything, but also ready to strike when an opening presents itself. Despite his hooded features, Zoë could practically feel the smugness on his face.

That only made her angrier.

Zoë stalked forward slowly, eyes never leaving the enemy. Her instincts were the only thing keeping her from misstepping and plummeting off the branch.

If she could just get close enough... Zoë took a quick glance down the side of the branch and at the forest ground far below. She might not be able to defeat him, but if she surprised him, she'd be able to take him down with her. The safety of her fellow hunters were the only thought in her mind at the moment. She had promised Artemis they would return safely, and Zoë was willing to give her life to see that through.

However, the hooded figure seemed to see through Zoë as well, as he gave a small chuckle. Flapping his cloak back, he began to unsheath the blade strapped on his back, the sunlight glinting off the metal creating a contrast against his dark silhouette.

Zoë noticed a thin black substance that coated the edge of the sword. _Poison… most likely why the rest of the hunters are still out,_ Zoë rationalized, _he must've knocked out Phoebe, Atalanta, and I with physical force._

Zoë spared a concerned glance towards her fallen hunters, who still laid unmoving on the large branch. She had never seen a poison that worked like that before ― knocking out the victim to such an unresponsive state was usually enough to kill an elephant, and yet her hunters seemed to be alive.

"Don't worry, it'll wear off in a few hours." The hooded figure answered, noticing her concern. "Now if you're done causing a ruckus, quiet down or they'll hear you." He motioned down to the forest floor below.

Zoë reluctantly took her eyes off the hooded figure and glanced off the side of the branch. She saw tiny movements along the underbush, which from her height, looked like lines of ants crawling on the ground. But no… they were men… soldier rather.

She squinted her eyes to get a better look at the people below. It was unmistakable ― their colors, the shining armor ― these were Gabriel's men, and there had to be hundreds of them combing through the underbrush.

"A-are they here for us?" Zoë asked with a much quieter tone, her whisper not carrying nearly the amount of authority she'd hoped to convey.

"Seems like it." The hooded figure responded, "Doesn't surprise me, that double-crossing bastard. Wouldn't be the first time he tried to pull off something like this."

"Who are you?" Zoë questioned, the situation only confusing her even further.

The man removed his hood to reveal messy black hair and green eyes. He had a young clean-shaven face, one that couldn't have been much older than any of the hunters by much. But his eyes told a different story. They were the eyes of a killer ― one that's seen the cruel reality of this world, and one that's suffered terrible tragedies. Zoë knew those eyes well, it was something she saw everyday in her reflection.

Despite the current hostility between them and her general dislike for the opposite gender, Zoë gained a slight respect for the man before her. To obtain such skills at a young age was a feat few understood. Fighting was not something you learned from swordmasters, no, it was something you learned through experience. The best fighters in the world learned how to take a beating first, before they learned how to fight. Zoë took her fair share of beatings and it seemed like the man before her had as well.

A scar ran down his face and over his left eye. It cut from forehead to jaw, a line across his eyelids connecting the scar every time he blinked. The color had faded dark, showing an old injury, but that was a scar he'd surely keep for life.

"My name is Perseus." The man said with a smirk, having caught Zoë staring at his face. She quickly averted her eyes, hoping he wouldn't catch her faint blush. "I'm assuming you were hired by Gabriel to kill me." Perseus continued.

Zoë gave a quick nod. "Why is the king after you?" She asked.

Perseus gave a small chuckle at her cluelessness. "It's not me he's after, princess." The nickname had the desired effect as Perseus could visibly see the anger flare in her eyes.

"Do not call me that, _boy._ " Zoë lashed out. But it had little effect considering the position she was in, and both sides knew that. Perseus chose to entertain her nonetheless.

"You _are_ the one wearing a tiara though." Perseus joked, "What would you have me call you then, princess?"

"...Zoë Nightshade." She grumbled quietly after stirring with indignation. _It was better than him calling her princess the whole time._

"Alright then, Zoë." Perseus continued, pleased with the answer before he got back on topic. "Whatever Gabriel told you about me were just lies. He manipulated you into thinking you were the predator, and your precious little mistress just fell right into his trap."

"What do you mean?!" Zoë snarled, irate at the slight towards Artemis.

"Gabriel was never going to pay you the gold he promised." Perseus revealed, "He just used the bounty as a means to pit us against one another. Even if you did somehow capture me, he would've stabbed you in the back the first chance he gets."

"Why are _you_ working with him then?" Zoë asked, trying to piece together the information as fast as she could. "And why betray him now?"

"He has what I want," Perseues growled with anger, revealing the first hint of emotion from him. He clenched his fist slightly before focusing back on Zoë, "Judging from his men crawling through the forest below, he was never going to give that to me. It seems I'd have to take it from him by force. If you and your mistress want what was promised to you as well, I suggest you do the same."

Zoë pondered everything he said for a moment before giving a small nod.

"I suppose we're all in agreement then." Perseus said motioning between them. "Because if so, I believe I have a plan."

* * *

"Are you sure it's wise your grace?" King Gabriel's advisor asked as they sat in the council chamber. "The hunt has a reputation for a reason, especially their leader… even if she may be a woman… And we know how strong that freak is… sending men into the forest may not have been the best idea."

King Gabriel turned on him in an instant. "Are you questioning my decisions again Zachary?" His voice was even, but the threat was clear. _Any more outbursts and losing your position as advisor would be the last of your worries._

"O-of course not, your grace." Zachary answered shakily with a bead of sweat rolling down his forehead, "I just wish to see the success of this plan as much as you, your grace."

Satisfied with the answer, King Gabriel turned around to face the window once again. From this chamber high up in the tower of his palace, he could see the entire city. _All the people that worshiped him like a god… all the people that were his to torment._

"The fact that they're both powerful makes it all the better for us." King Gabriel explained, "Once they've finished fighting each other in the forests, our troops will finish off whoever's left. Meanwhile, another army would attack the Hunt's camp. With the hunters split, they'll stand no chance against a surprise attack… Victory will be ours in no time."

"Yes, of course your grace." Zachary answered obediently, afraid to speak out against his king.

"If that's all for today, I believe we're done here." King Gabriel concluded, striding out of the council chambers. "It's time I relax for the day and have some fun." His lips twitching up in a sick smile as he headed off to the dungeons.

* * *

Artemis reviewed the scrolls one last time, checking for any accounting mistakes. When she'd first created this young mercenary group, the last thing she'd thought she needed to know was how to balance finances.

But she'd learned that lesson quickly. Not taking extreme care in their gold meant not having any in the future. One simple mistake could lead to heaps of hardships for her hunt ― a starved month here… a underdressed winter there…. It gave Artemis a newfound respect for people who managed the finance of entire cities or kingdoms, though the bastards never did a good job anyway. A quarter of the people in a city could starve and live on the streets while they live in luxury. It was the reason Artemis started this hunt in the first place ― to provide a good way of life for her hunters.

But no matter how much she prided her hunt on being self-sufficient, they needed gold for a reason. Artemis had trained her girls to be excellent hunters, trackers, and killers, but in the end, they were not blacksmiths or seamstresses or farmers. There were certain goods that they relied on buying from the cities, thus their great need for gold.

The pay they would receive from King Gabriel would ensure they have enough supplies for the winter, and perhaps they'd be able to afford better weapons for her hunters. Those never hurt.

The preparations to pack up camp should be finishing up by now. As soon as Zoë's group returned with their prize, they would set out for the main continent… At least that was Artemis's plan. She wished to get a move on immediately ― spending any extra time in this strange kingdom was something Artemis would like to avoid. She did not have a great feeling about this mission, and only prayed that Zoë would return safely.

Alas her wish was too good to come true.

"M'lady!" The hunter shouted before she burst into Artemis' tent. Her eyes were wide with panic, and her breaths were labored as if she'd just ran a mile.

"What is it?" Artemis asked impatiently, whatever it was that caused the young girl to be like this couldn't have been good news.

"The lookouts saw enemy forces approaching…" The hunter stammered, "M-more than hundreds they say, m'lady."

Artemis muttered a silent curse, she should have trusted her instincts from the beginning. They have never misled her, and now she would pay for ignoring them.

"Gather the rest of the hunters," Artemis ordered, "Take the gold and everything important. We move now!."

"But," The hunter interjected, unsure how to break the news to her mistress. "The forces aren't just marching from the city, m'lady. They've circled around and plan to cross the river behind our camp…I'm afrain we're surrounded, m'lady."

Artemis froze at her words. _How could she have been so foolish?_ She'd thought the king would be too cowardly to try something like this, but evidently she was wrong. He had been planning this the entire time and lured her right into his trap.

She had hoped this would be a quick mission, and had not bothered to pick a highly defensible position for their camp. It was a great resting ground with the river behind them and plenty of prey along the banks, but it was not a favorable position for the hunt.

The trees were thin and sparse, unlike the dense forest Zoë had taken her hunters on their mission. They specialized in guerilla hit-and-run tactics ― hiding in trees, ambushing large armies, picking off people with their bows ― there was no one in the world that was able to match her hunt at that game. But out in the open like this… the Hunt would be susceptible to an encirclement.

Their speed cannot be used to their advantage in an escape, and they would be forced to confront the enemy head on. A clash of firepower was not a battle they could win easily. They may be able to pull it off, but not without great losses.

"Gather the hunters," Artemis ordered, grabbing her weapons and storming out of the tent. "We make our stand at the cliff above the river.

It was the only chance they had, the cliff being lone defensible position in the area ― it gave them the height advantage and forced their enemy to approach from one side. That was the only way to lessen the power their enemy had in numbers. However, that also meant her hunt would be forced into a dead end. They would either push their enemy back, or be pushed off the cliff.

Artemis realized what this was… it wasn't a strategy that could bring them victory, but only one that could buy them more time. Cornering themselves like this can only serve to delay the inevitable if their lookouts were correct about the enemies numbers.

Artemis took a deep breath and steeled her will. Thoughts like that would do nothing to help her now, the only thing she could do was to press on. She had to be a beacon of hope for her hunters, if she falters so will all of her followers. That… was the burden of a leader… one she had to bear for the sake of her hunters.

Eyes flaring with determination, Artemis headed off into the fight of her life.

* * *

"If what you say is true, we'll have to get back to our camp immediately!" Zoë realized, "Lady Artemis won't be able to hold off an entire army for long."

"So… do we have a deal then?" Perseus questioned, reaching his hand out to Zoë, "I'll promise to help you now, and in return you'll lend me your aid in destroying Gabriel together. You'll get your gold from him, and I'll get what I want. It's a win for both of us."

Zoë looked towards Phoebe and Atalanta, who were the only hunters conscious right now, though Atalanta not by much. They gave her a look of trust, believing in the decisions of their Lieutenant. Whatever she chose, they'd follow.

With a nod of resolution she reached out and grasped Perseus' hand, sealing their deal. _Whatever happens, she was sure she could convince Artemis to fight for Perseus. But she had more important matters on hand to worry about._

"Good," Perseus answered, "I'll take ginger over there with me and we'll take care of Gabriel's men at your camp. The rest of you will stay here high up in this tree where no one will be able to touch you."

Phoebe gave a small growl at the nickname, still not fully trusting in this man they were fighting not too long ago. But she agreed with the plan ― it was their best course of action.

Zoë, however, was much more opposed to the idea. "What do you mean stay here?" Zoë ridiculed, "I will not hide while my lady and fellow sisters are fighting for their lives. It's my duty to protect them."

Atalanta, despite her dizzying state, nodded in agreement. _She was not about to sit by and watch her sisters die._

Perseus sighed in exasperation, "While it's admirable how dedicated you are to your hunters, you're in no position to fight, and neither is blondie over there by the trunk. You have a broken arm, and she likely has a concussion. You'll be no help in a fight. No offense to you all, but I don't need _any_ of you to take out Gabriel's army out in the open. I only need ginger there to lead me to your camp and that's it."

"This isn't about how good I'll be… I know I may not be at full strength, but it's still enough to take out some of their men." Zoë answered resolutely, her mind made up about this decision. "Tell me, would you sit by while those you care about most are in danger?"

That seem to strike a cord with Perseus as he paused in his rebuttal. Perseus' thoughts shifted to the person he was doing all this for. Just the thought of her being in Gabriel's grasp set his blood boiling. He promised he'd save her no matter what. _Maybe this stubborn huntress had a point._

"That still doesn't solve the issue of your arm," Perseus pointed out, "How are you going to fight at all when you could barely hold up that arm?"

"I'll be fine!" Zoë answered, hiding said limb behind her back, the stubborn nature of hers showing through once again.

Perseus sighed in defeat. _If she's going to come, might as well fix that arm._

"Let me see it." Perseus ordered, not giving any room to argue.

"E-eh?" Zoë asked in confusion.

Perseus only held out his hand without a word, waiting for her.

"I said it's fine!" Zoë growled, giving a little stomp to prove her point. Though the bite in her voice was lost due to the slight wince she gave at the jarring movement.

Perseus only raised an eyebrow in amusement. _Are you sure about that?_ He seemed to mock.

"Tch…" Zoë grit before reluctantly raising her left forearm towards Perseus. The movement alone showed how much pain she was truly in. The limb was shaking from the pulsating pain, and the skin had swelled and darkened to an ugly purple.

If he remembered their fight correctly, she had attempted to block one of his kicks with her bare arm. It was impressive how long she'd held off the pain, but if it wasn't set correctly, it may never heal.

"Hurry up and just get it over with." Zoë spat out, grinding her teeth in preparation for the upcoming pain.

"For what it's worth... I'm sorry," Perseus whispered, "I hadn't meant to break your arm."

Zoë looked into his eyes to find true regret there; he may have been ruthless in a fight, but he had a gentle soul inside. Whatever suffering he'd been through, he had managed to hold on to his humanity in spite of it all. _What a strange man… he seemed to peak Zoë's curiosity with everything he does._ Those green orbs showed a great deal of his character but much more was hidden in those eyes, like the depth of the ocean.

Zoë felt a strange pull towards this man despite her immediate reaction to despise him.

Catching herself staring at his face once again, she quickly turned her face, lest she give him something to gloat over once again. Clenching her teeth, Zoë gritted out, "Get on with it already."

Taking Zoë's hand with a gentleness that surprised her, he secured the limb tightly with his underarm. The muscles in Zoë's arm tensed with anticipation no matter how much she tried to relax.

Sensing her pain, Perseus handed her his blade. "Bite down on the leather scabbard… you'll need it for the pain… we can't afford you alerting whoever's still left below" he offered, gesturing to the few straggling soldiers who had yet to pass through the clearing. They were really high up in the tree, but there was no guarantee the echoes wouldn't carry all the way to the forest floor.

And Perseus would much rather not have to deal with those soldiers right now.

Zoë gave a subtle look of gratitude in return. Biting down, she prepared herself for the pain. She had reset plenty of broken bones in her life ― being a hunter wasn't exactly the safest occupation. She knew how these usually went.

"Alright...On three?" Perseus asked. Zoë gave a small nod, signaling him to continue.

Instead of the countdown, Zoë heard a sickening crunch as Perseus pulled and snapped her forearm back in place. The pain registered a few milliseconds later as Zoë screamed in agony, luckily muffled by the scabbard between her teeth.

Perseus gave her a few seconds to recover before pulling some cloth from the pocket within his cloak. He knelt down, placing Zoë's delicate arm above his knee and began to wrap the appendage tightly to keep the bones in place.

Despite the excruciating pain, Zoë knew her arm was already better than before. It still hurt to move but it was a pain she would be able to fight through, unlike the crippling sensation she'd felt earlier. Blinking away the few droplets of tears that forced their way out of her eyes, she glared at Perseus, who only laughed at the adorable expression. Any intimidation she'd hoped to achieve was ruined by her glassy eyes and cute pout.

"You bastard…" Zoë snarled, "Don't you normally count to _two_ and then do it?"

Perseus gave a small snort at that. "Defeats the purpose if you expect that already, don't you think?" Perseus said, finishing up the makeshift cast that still allowed her some mobility in a fight. "Besides, you'll thank me later when this heals completely."

"C'mon we need to get a move on." Phoebe urged strapping her weapons and gear back on after Perseus had returned them. Twin hunting daggers, throwing knives, bow and arrows ― the standard hunter's gear. They had not brought any of their more… specialized… weapons, not having anticipated this to be any more than a hunting mission.

Though it was not ideal for the huge battle they were preparing for, it would have to make do. Perhaps they can make it back to their camp in time before the attack from Gabriel's army and retrieve their other weapons.

Atalanta attempted to get up as well, but alas she had not fully recovered. Even if her eyes looked significantly less dazed, she could hardly stand by herself, let alone put up a fight. "You're not going with us blondie," Perseus stated, cutting off any protests from Atalanta, "You'll stay here and keep watch over the rest of your hunters. They'll be knocked out until late tonight, but just in case any of them wakes up… make sure they don't fall off the branch."

That seemed to placate Atalanta somewhat as she settled back into her seated position near the trunk. Her weapons by her side just in case.

The other three stood by the edge of the branch, armed to the teeth with additional weapons. They certainly had no shortage of them, what with their fallen hunters not needing their gear. Zoë and Phoebe were each strapped to the fullest, carrying three quivers of arrows over their shoulders and multiple throwing knife holsters strapped on each leg.

Perseus raised an eyebrow at the excessive display, a stark contrast to the gear he'd prepared ― a simple hooded cloak and the lone blade strapped across his back. Though, he supposed, more ammunition never hurt, and they'd need it for the upcoming fight. If the tales he'd heard about the hunters of Artemis were true, their marksmanship would mean they could take out entire armies with that much ammunition… if given the time.

That seemed to be the challenge here. While the hunters were certainly no pushovers when it came to hand to hand combat, the battle would come down to whether the soldiers would storm the hunters with their sheer numbers first, or if the hunters can defend long enough to pick them off with their deadly accuracy. Perseus had just hoped that it would be the latter… at least until he arrived with help.

"You _do_ remember the way back to your camp, right?" Perseus questioned, looking towards Zoë for confirmation.

"As long as you take me back to where we fought earlier today," Zoë answered, "I'd be able to find the way from there.

And that just leaves one last task. One very… very tall task.

"Look, Perseus..." Zoë began with a look of uncertainty, "I'm not doubting you because we had to get up here somehow… but what's your plan on getting down?"

"Yea," Phoebe added, voice dripping with sarcasm, "In case you've forgotten, we're quite a ways away from the ground. And I don't know about you, but I'd rather not end up a bloody meal for the vultures."

"Hehe... about that…" Perseus gave a small laugh as he scratched the back of his head sheepishly. Zoë's senses were screaming at her to run for her life, but once again she was far too slow to react.

"We'll be jumping down like this…" Without another warning, Perseus grabbed the two hunters tightly in each arm and leapt off the side of the branch.


	3. Revelations

Zoë had escaped death countless times in her life, if not for all the shit things that's happened to her, she might've even been inclined to believe lady luck was on her side. But she knew there were no such things as gods or fate. It was humans who ruled over their own lives, despite how much they'd like to blame their misfortune on others.

However, Zoë couldn't help but admit that fortune did play a role in her ability to avoid death. It takes more than just skill to survive in a mercenary group as infamous as the Hunters of Artemis. Reputation often served as a double-edged sword ― they attracted the type of clients who had very deep pockets, but that also meant the missions were ten times as dangerous.

 _You don't just hire any common sellsword to assassinate a wealthy aristocrat, or to guard a royal caravan._ Those were the highest-paying jobs for a reason ― they attracted a lot of unwanted attention.

Throughout the years, Zoë had faced the doors of death enough times where she became prepared should the day ever come. She had no qualms with dying… only the small regret that lingered at the back of her head. But if giving her life meant she could protect Artemis and her fellow hunters, Zoë would unflinchingly stare death in the face with a brave smile on her lips.

 _A warrior…_ Zoë hoped… _to the bitter end._

...until she met some idiot named Perseus. Now she just hoped her death would be quick and painless as she plummeted to her death. The surroundings flew by in a blur as the forest floor sped towards her. Zoë let out an ear piercing scream, but the wind swallowed her terror.

 _What in the hell is that stupid boy doing?_ Zoë really wished she'd stabbed him instead. _He was no better than the rest of the males in this world._ Zoë cursed herself for letting her guard down once again ― she knew better than to trust someone like that, and yet for some reason when she looked into those ocean-green orbs, she'd found a kindred soul… or so she thought.

Zoë looked towards Perseus now and found there was nothing sane about the man before her. His eyes were closed and a small smile adorned his lips as he dove head-first towards the ground below them. He visage was a stark contrast to the two hunters he held in his arms, who were, at the moment, the exact opposite of calm. It was as if he had not a care in the world, least of all their impending reunion with the ground. If Zoë could castrate him right now she would have.

 _For the safety of future generations,_ she reasoned, _such madness should not befall his descendants._

Phoebe was equally terrified, her arms flailing uncontrollably as she screamed in nonsense. Her struggling wasn't making the situation any better, but Zoë could hardly blame her at the moment. She, herself was not faring better, and if she was being honest, may have just wet her pants a tiny bit.

Though that was the least of her concerns at the moment.

 _Is this how she was going to die? After everything she'd been through?... Clinging helplessly to some suicidal maniac, falling not in battle, but quite literally to her death?_

 _No… it can't- it won't end like this. Not even this godless world could be so cruel as this. I won't let it happen._ Zoë chanted in her head.

But any brave thoughts she had were drowned out by a suspiciously high-pitched scream that Zoë would deny ever came from her. In that moment, the battle-hardened Lieutenant became a young girl once more, screaming for her dear life.

Seconds before they would hit the ground, Zoë closed her eyes and sent a final prayer to her Lady Artemis, wishing for the safety of her and the hunters. _It had been a difficult life in this cruel world, but the Hunt made everything worthwhile._ In the end ― thinking of them ― perhaps Zoë would be able to die with a smile after all.

Zoë tensed her body for the deadly impact, but she felt… nothing.

No pain… no sound… not even a single feeling except the gusts of wind that blew across her face. _Is this what death feels like? Not a moment of insufferable agony, but peace, quiet, and freedom?_ Zoë could only give a humorless laugh at this fickle world. _What she'd searched for her entire life was only possible after death. Had she known, perhaps she wouldn't have fought so hard for her life in the past._

"A-are you alright?" An annoyingly familiar voice sounded close to her ear. She didn't think it was possible to be irritated to such a degree by someone she'd met not hours ago, but the world seemed determined to prove her wrong today. "Look, I didn't mean to scare you like that, I swear I didn't… please don't tell me you've gone insane?"

And just like that, the illusion was shattered. _Zoë should have known there was no thing such as peace in her life. Years of experience, and she learned not a thing. No… she wasn't finally freed from this world, far from it. She was now trapped in an eternal afterlife with this insufferable male no less._

 _Everything was his fault._

Zoë opened her eyes to vent out her frustrations at this stupid boy, but her eyes blinked in astonishment as any words of profanity died on her lips.

The sight she was blessed with wasn't some spiritual plain of heavenly light. Zoë hadn't taken much time in her life to imagine what came after, but it was certainly far from what she was expecting. The vibrant greens and dirty browns that met her eyes were far too earthly to be an afterlife.

But somehow, what she saw took her breath away nonetheless. _The colors flew by her, blurring into a beautiful painting of nature. The wind blowing across her face, it was almost as if she was a bird, flying through the sky._

A series of loud flaps broke her out of her thoughts. She turned her head to find a set of dark wings, brown on the verge of black, its feathers almost glistening in the sunlight. Zoë couldn't decide what was more strange. The sheer size of the wings stretched out behind her, or the fact that the wings sprouted out from Perseus back, sweeping aside his cloak as if they were his natural limbs.

A thousand questions sped through Zoë's mind, but she remained speechless, whether from the surprise or wonder at the sight even she wasn't too sure herself.

Zoë watched the wings rise and fold slightly before they beat effortlessly against the air, allowing them to glide through the forest. The wings were larger than any creature's Zoë's ever seen. Stretched out to its full wingspan as it was now, Zoë doubt it'd be able to make it through the widest castle gates. Its width had to be more than fifteen meters, each feather alone was longer than the length of her hands. They were thick and strong, no doubt necessary to carry such a heavy weight.

Zoë wondered if they would be as soft as a bird's feathers. She reached out a hand tentatively, attempting to feel part of the wing near Perseus's back, but Phoebe interrupted her before she could, breaking her out of her wonder.

"What the hell are you?" The whirlwind of surprises the hunters had encountered since their ambush was evidently too much for Phoebe to handle as she finally snapped. "Are you even human?"

Percy gave a small sigh, as if he was used to such responses. "I'm not in the mood to explain everything to you little brat."

"Why you little shit…" Phoebe stuttered indignantly, "You're the same age as us. You don't get to call anyone a brat."

"I think it would be a good idea if you explained the situation, _Perseus_." Zoë intervened, putting as much force into her voice as possible. She had enough of his surprises, and at this point, she didn't know what to believe anymore. Zoë had to pinch herself just to make sure that this wasn't some stupid dream of hers.

"Can't this at least wait until we've dealt with everything?" Perseus complained, "As you can see, we have more pressing matters to deal with."

"No! How do we even know we can trust you? You've obviously not been entirely truthful with us. For all we know, you could just be using us as a means to find our camp and capture the rest of the hunters." Zoë questioned.

 _This damn stubborn princess._ "Look, you don't have to trust me, but I can assure you, I'm not your enemy. I could have killed you all in your sleep… instead, I went through all that effort to hide you from Gabriel's soldiers... for what? All to deceive you in the end?"

"Wouldn't be the most convoluted plan I've heard of" Phoebe muttered, "Besides, you have the look of someone who's untrustworthy."

"W-what the hell's that supposed to mean?" Perseus asked offendedly.

"All I'm saying is handsome men are always devious. It's a shame how often innocent girls fall for their tricks." Phoebe spat out, just thinking of the terrible acts she's witnessed made her squirm in disgust. So much so that she'd forgotten to choose her words carefully before she spoke.

"...Oh?..." Perseus raised an eyebrow, a teasing smirk on his lips, "You think I'm good looking? I never thought you'd think so highly of me."

Phoebe groaned in annoyance, both at her own mistake and the insufferable man before her. _Man? Beast? What even is he?_ "You still haven't answered the question, and we've got plenty of time until we reach our camp." Phoebe deflected, deciding the best course of action would be to just feign ignorance of Perseus's comment. Though her slightly reddened cheeks betrayed her stoicism.

Perseus sighed in defeat. His own attempt at deflecting the issue from the topic of his being was not as successful. _These hunters were dead set on knowing everything about him._ And judging from the determined look in their eyes, they were not going to let up no matter what he did.

"Tell me, have you ever heard of Echidna?" Perseus began. "The Mother beast who gave birth to terrible monsters."

"Wh… Of course." Zoë answered, as if it was an obvious statement. "Who hasn't?"

The fairy tale of Echidna was a story well known throughout their world. Children everywhere were told of the terrible monsters that terrorized the Earth once upon a time. The versions varied from household to household, but it didn't matter if you were royalty or slaves, the main story remained the same. Zoë could still remember when her father first told her the story, and how Calypso had latched onto her leg, trembling in fear. She had cried the entire night and never let go of Zoë until she promised to protect her from the monsters of the world.

 _Just another promise Zoë couldn't keep._

But it was one of the only stories Zoë remembered ever being interested in. It was different from the fairy tales of princesses and their white knights in shining armor. The story of Echidna was a refreshing change, albeit slightly terrifying

To this day, she still remembered her father's words.

* * *

 _In this world, one would be hard pressed to find a land that hasn't seen the footprints of humans. Save for the arctic glaciers to the north and the blistering deserts to the south, any hospitable habitats were conquered by man. Huge cities cultivated the wild into civilizations, and powerful kingdoms spanned the continent. Any land the eye can see and the man can walk belonged to humans. Therefore, you must not fault them for thinking they sat alone atop the throne of the world_ ― _King of all living species._

 _But in truth, mankind has only learned to forget. The horror of being subjugated by terrifying monsters, the fear of living in the shadow of others._

 _Centuries ago, the world was much different_ ― _human civilizations were limited to scattered villages and small towns at best. What dominated the face of the Earth was not humans, but great monsters instead. They prowled the lands, doing as they wish, killing any who stood in their way._

 _For humans, that world was hell. Any attempt at forming large cities or towns banding together were quickly thwarted by huge armies of monsters. It was the first sign that these monsters were anything but mindless. They had a plan in mind, if not, they were at least being controlled by a more powerful being._

 _Humans were no match for these armies of monsters, no matter how much people they gathered. There was no strength in numbers when the enemy was as powerful and vicious as the one they faced. Huge black hounds with teeth as sharp as knives, stronger and faster than even horses. But the most terrifying thing was their red eyes, they glowed as if they held the fires from the deepest pits of hell, reborn to terrorize the masses. And so, these creatures were fittingly given the name_ ― _Hellhounds, for surely no regular dog on the face of the Earth could be as unnatural as these monsters._

 _Three times the humans attempted to build fortified cities to defend against the monsters, three times the army of Hellhounds attacked. Thousands of workers mauled by the beasts, their corpses mangled and lifeless before they could ever see their project come to fruition. All that's left in those half-finished cities are scaffolding and crumbled stone walls lying in ruin, stained a deep red for eternity from all the blood of the massacre._

 _While the Hellhounds struck fear into every human on the face of the Earth, they were merely a small fraction of the power the humans were up against_ ― _just one of the many creations of Echidna. From the shadows of her Aura, she formed creatures straight from the darkest of nightmares. One-eyed giants… winged vampires… Hellhounds… These were just Echidna's pawns_ ― _mindless soldiers who obeyed her every command._

 _Though these creatures were terribly powerful in the face of man, the humans found a way to fight back. Their resilience prevailed and slowly, they began to defend their homes against these terrible creatures of darkness. Before long, they formed their own armies, looking to strike back at the foul beasts. Men, women, children alike all joined in the effort to eradicate the monsters and fight for humanities freedom. For a time, it looked like they were successful. The largest army humanity's ever raised defended their homes and towns from the terrifying Hellhounds that attempted to raze them to the ground. Waves of enemies attacked, and waves of monsters the people repelled._

 _Humanity's victory was just on the horizon, but that was only the beginning of this story._

 _You see, Hellhounds were powerful, but they were only created from the shadows, just as many of the other common monsters. They inherited no true power from Echidna except for the consciousness to control their own bodies._

 _Echidna's children, however, was a much different case._

 _Seeing that her armies of Hellhounds were no longer able to pose a threat to the revamped human army, Echidna realized she needed more Subordinates to carry out her orders_ ― _ones who were far more powerful than her creations, and the ones who were able to lead her armies of monsters._

 _And so the following year, Echidna took the form of a gorgeous maiden, and that was all it took to manipulate the men of the human race. None could resist her milky white skin, nor her voluptuous frame. Soon, Echidna had mated with eight humans, and from them, she'd given birth to powerful Monsters all capable of taking the form of a human as well as their monster form._

 _With that, these children of Echidna were given the name_ ― _Shifters. These eight Shifters each held a legendary power that was unique to them. When put all together, their powers can nearly rival those of their mother Echidna's._

 _Finally, Echidna sent her children to lead her armies of monsters against the humans. With these new Shifters, humanity didn't stand a chance. Echidna's world domination was merely within her grasp, but something unexpected had happened. Something she didn't think she was capable of having._

 _With her eighth and final human mate, she had fallen terribly in love with. A man by the name of Typhon had somehow stolen the heart of a ruthless Queen of Monsters. When Echidna had revealed her true form to all of her previous mates, they had all cowered in fear. Echidna reveled in their tears and screams as she strangled them with a snap of her serpent tail._

 _Typhon, however, was different than the rest. He stared at her monstrous figure unflinchingly, as if challenging the Queen. Instead of cowering away, he stepped forward. Instead of crying and screaming, he smirked. Instead of strangling to death, he'd wrapped his arms around Echidna and made love passionately to the monster before him._

 _Echidna had picked him as a mate in the first place because of his sadistic nature and foolish bravery. Never did she think he would come to accept her in her true form._

 _All else was shoved to the back of Echidna's mind as she took her new lover in every way possible. However, that was not enough as the human life was short and fragile. Deciding to make Typhon her eternal lover, Echidna turned him into a great Shifter, just like one of her children. She transferred a direct portion of her power into him, and thus, Typhon took on a similar appearance of a human body with a strong serpent form._

 _In that moment, Echidna couldn't be any happier. She would rule the world with her lover by her side. At the peak of the monster's hierarchy would stand two creatures_ ― _the Queen and King of the monsters._

 _However, even for the powerful rulers of the Monsters, all good things did not last long. Whether it was due to the distraction of taking a lover, or her blind trust in her children, Echidna's downfall became inevitable as all that remained of humanity banded together to defeat all the monsters._

 _From the piles of dead bodies and bloody gore rose a lone warrior. The humans called him their Messiah, or prophesied savior. He had figured out the key to defeating the monsters_ ― _a weakness that not even Echidna was privy to._

 _The warrior learned of each Shifter's unique power, thanks to the help from one of Echidna's own children. Not even the humans could believe that one of her children would betray the Queen of Monsters, but they were not about to look a gift horse in the mouth. Humanity would take any break they could get, and this seemed to be just the blessing they needed to beat Echidna once and for all._

 _And so with the secrets and help from one of the Shifters, the prophesied hero set out on a lone journey to slay the other Shifters. With each one he killed, his aura grew. This was the secret that not even Echidna was aware of. The power of the Shifters did not die with their holder. Instead, upon their death, it is transferred to the being who killed them._

 _In truth, Echidna should have predicted this_ ― _her power was absolute and eternal, unable to be destroyed or vanquished from the world. It would make sense, then, that her children who received a portion of her power would be the same. However, she was too infatuated and distracted to have realized the terrible mistake._

 _As the prophesied hero gained the new powers with each Shifter he slayed, he grew more and more invincible. He'd acquired a diverse variety of powers that made killing the regular monsters easy as a snap of the fingers._

 _Before long, all the Shifters were killed, and now the prophesied hero stood, more powerful than any being on the face of the Earth. He had been just a normal human like everyone else, but for some unknown reason, he was chosen to be humanity's savior. He'd never been a proponent of destiny or prophecies, but perhaps it was much simpler than that._

 _Some part of him deep inside understood why he was chosen as much as he understood the duty he carries. He was a legendary fighter in the army, having slayed countless Hellhounds and regular monsters. And in Humanity's darkest hours, he was their beacon of light to the Promised Land. It was easy for humans to turn to faith and destiny when all hope is lost, but he would carry that burden if it meant the survival of his kind. He knew how his name was uttered with reverence among humanity, he knew how powerful a seed belief can sow within people's hearts._

 _And so, he let them chant, let them pray to his name, let them believe. That there is a future to humanity, and Echidna's defeat would be inevitable._

 _Joshua._

 _His name would be forever remembered as being the prophesied hero, the Messiah._

 _What humanity would forget is the lone Shifter remaining who stood beside Joshua since the very beginning. He had told Joshua the secrets of his kind, and even saved his life countless times. What the people didn't understand was why a Shifter was helping the humans against his own kind. Many people believed the Shifter held a grudge against his mother Echidna, but only Joshua knew the truth._

 _The shifter beside him posed an imposing figure when in his monster form. His body took the shape of a lion, but was larger than any mammoth in the Arctic North. Its lean but strong hind legs capable of pulverizing flesh, but also fast enough to chase down a cheetah._

 _The form of a lion only made up the back half of the creature however, as it sported a pair of enormous eagle talons as its front legs, each matching in size and length to its hind legs. Its front chest was covered in white and grey feathers, each as large as a human head. The feathers blanketed the entire front half of the creature, running up the neck and the head. A strong curved beak sat on the face of the creature, completing the appearance of a deadly predator._

 _What was most impressive however, was the set of wings on its back, stretched out to more than fifteen meters. Its feathers a dark brown on the verge of black, strong enough to carry a weight as heavy as this enormous creature._

 _This was the Griffon, one of the eight legendary Shifters, Echidna's own child. Its combination of an Eagle and a Lion form made it physically one of the deadliest creatures in existence._

 _It was a sight that would strike fear into the largest Hellhound, but Joshua was more taken aback when the creature shifted to its human form. The Shifter was no older than a little boy, standing not even to the height of Joshua's chest._

 _In that form, the shifter had explained how the human conscious he'd inherited from his father had somehow overtaken his body and suppressed the control Echidna held over his monster form. All the other shifters are bound to obey Echidna's orders, but only he had been able to break free._

 _Seeing the death of his human kin at the mercy of these ruthless monsters was enough to make him turn on his Mother and the rest of the monsters. He had formed a pact with Joshua the prophesied hero then, but in the time since, they'd been loyally at each other's side, carrying out the duty to protect mankind._

 _When Joshua had defeated the seven other Shifters, his power exceeded even Echidna's since she had split hers with Typhon._

 _And so together, Joshua and the Griffon attacked Echidna and Typhon. Caught on her heels, Echidna had not been aware of the machinations of the outside world, having submerged herself with her infatuation with her lover. She seethed in surprise and outrage; whether more so at the man who had killed all her children, or at one of her own children who'd betrayed her, even Echidna wasn't sure._

 _But what she did know was that she would slaughter these two deviants. Even if the man's power surpassed her own slightly, together with Typhon, Echidna and her lover's powers still dwarfed the man before her._

 _And so, the four engaged in a deadly lock, a battle of fury, revenge, duty and love._

 _Joshua shifted between the many forms he'd acquired but all to no avail, for Echidna was their mother and far too familiar with every power._

 _Typhon, however, was much less evenly matched. Having almost no experience in his monster form, he was being pushed back despite his power far exceeding that of the Griffon. In just a few minutes, Typhon had been slayed. His tail held down by the giant paw of the Griffon hind legs, and its chest caved in by the sharp talons sinking into his lungs and heart._

 _The man-turned-monster lover of Echidna was dead within the second._

 _When Echidna had turned and witnessed the act, she let out a scream louder than any widow's wail. In that moment, Joshua truly felt sorry for her. Perhaps, if given the chance, she might have chosen to live out a life peacefully with her lover, but now it was too late._

 _Only death would await her now._

 _After her cries died down, Echidna turned towards the pair with a renewed anger and thirst for vengeance. But no matter how hard she raged, how loudly she screamed, or how furiously she fought, she was no match for Joshua and the Griffon who had learned to work together over time in slaying monsters._

 _Soon, Echidna too, laid lifeless on the ground, having succumbed to the countless wounds on her body._

 _With that single battle, humanity had toppled the great throne of the Queen Echidna and freed themselves from the fear of those great Monsters. With Echidna gone from the world, all of her creations, which were made from her aura, had disappeared as well. All of the Hellhounds, Empousai, and Cyclops disintegrated into thin air, not a trace of their existence remaining._

 _The hundreds of thousands of human corpses that lay rotting on the ground were the only grim reminder of the terrible conflict that humanity had survived._

* * *

"You mean to tell me," Zoë asked, "that all of it is true? That the stories of Echidna are more than just a fairy tale, and that she truly did once rule the world?"

"I can't say that everything in the stories are true, I doubt anyone will really know." Perseus replied, "But yes. Monsters truly did exist in our world once... as they do today ― ones with powers beyond imagination."

"So you're saying these… Shifters… are still out there today…" Zoë summarized with a tone full of skepticism, "Why hasn't there been any reports of monsters then? Surely the Shifters of legends coming to real life would have been a huge deal, right?"

"You would think so," Perseus began, "But then you remember just how arrogant humanity could be to forget the terrible hell that this entire world lived in just a few centuries in the past. So cemented in their own greatness and grandeur of superiority, humanity has cleverly woven their history into myths and stories throughout the generations, and convinced themselves they were just that. _Truth turned into fiction, lies worshipped as history._ Before long, Echidna and the Monsters turned from a terrifying conflict in humanity's past to a bedtime story for children."

"You think humanity will now accept the existence of other creatures more powerful than them?" Perseus continued, "If any shifters were truly sighted, the witness is more likely to be ridiculed than be taken seriously. _That_ is hubris at its finest, and will be humanity's downfall once again if they don't realize it."

"But how do they still exist?" Phoebe questioned, but still full of doubt, "In the stories, didn't Joshua defeat all the Shifters and Echidna, how could they still be alive?"

Perseus sighed, _that was the most difficult question even he had trouble answering with his knowledge of the world._ "No one really knows what happened to Joshua after Echidna was defeated. Some say he became the first king of this Kingdom, some say he began traveling the country preaching peace and family. No one knows the truth. If he had somehow been killed, the power of the seven Shifters would transfer to his slayer, but that begs the question of how someone with Joshua's power was killed in the first place."

"No," Perseus continued with more confidence, "What's more likely is that he had lived out his days into old age and eventually died in his own bed. His powers, however, split once again into the seven Shifters to be inherited by a random unborn fetus. This makes sense as Echidna's powers can't be destroyed ― without a clear slayer of the original Shifter, the power would still be inherited by someone."

"But wouldn't that mean that Echidna's and Typhon's powers remain as well," Zoë asked, a slow headache growing as one answer only led to two more questions. "That can't be true, the creations of her aura don't exist anymore. I'm quite sure people would notice if there were thousands of Hellhounds running around. Why couldn't Joshua have let someone kill him willingly? If that's the case, and we assume the powers disappear upon a natural death, than everything would be solved. Wouldn't that explanation make more sense?"

 _These damn huntresses were too smart for their own good._ Perseus had wanted to withhold some of the information he knew, but it seemed it was impossible with these stubborn girls.

"That's impossible, the powers had to have had no true inheritor and therefore split into seven random unborn babies." Perseus said with certainty.

"Wha―" Phoebe cut in suddenly, "Why does it have to be impossible? Are you such an insecure little fool that you think you have to be right all the time?"

"No you little brat," Perseus responded, ignoring Phoebe's warning earlier of calling her a brat, "I know because I've seen the Shifters… as in multiple. The only way the Shifter powers would split once again would be if Joshua had no clear inheritor that killed him and the power was distributed among seven new Shifters."

That managed to silence the hunters as they pondered the issue to themselves. "How can we even trust what you're saying then?" Phoebe asked as a last resort, refusing to believe Monsters exist in this world. _They had enough to deal with when men were already such pigs._ "For all we know, you could be pulling all this straight out of your ass."

"Really?" Perseus asked incredulously, "After all this you're still questioning whether I'm lying? What would be the point?!" His annoyance was beginning to build before he took a deep breath to calm himself.

"Look, the monsters of legend are real, I've seen them with my own eyes. It's how I was cursed with this power." Perseus stated slowly, with a nod of his head towards the wings on his back. "Unless you have a better explanation that somehow I've never figured out for _those,_ than I suggest you start listening for once."

Everything Perseus was saying was beyond ridiculous at this point, but for some reason, Zoë found no reason to doubt his words. It was an idea that was extremely hard to believe, but Perseus had no purpose in lying to them… especially about something like this. Unless it was just some cruel prank, in which case Zoë really will stab the man, but it was the only explanation that provided a justification for the wings on his back.

Even Phoebe pondered his words in silence. _It did make sense, despite how illogical it all sounds._ Phoebe closed her eyes and groaned. _I swear, more crazy things have happened today than maybe my entire life._ It was making her head spin at a dizzying rate.

"So, what the hell are you then? How do you know all this?" Phoebe asked rapidly. Each question Perseus answered only made two more sprout in her mind, creating an endless maze of mysteries.

"Because I _am_ a Shifter" Perseus replied much to Phoebe and Zoë's confusion, "The eighth and final Shifter was never inherited by Joshua, but passed down through the generations to people who slayed the previous holder."

"I am the current holder of the Griffon Shifter, 56th inheritor of this power."


	4. The Last Stand

_The image of her village engulfed in flames was forever burned into Calypso's mind as she numbly trudged through the forest. Her feet were in pain, and her legs threatened to collapse from exhaustion. They'd been walking for hours once again today, and the tears had dried up on Calypso's dirtied face, no longer falling from her blood-shot eyes._

 _It had been their third day without an ounce of food, but Calypso pushed onward, barely managing to keep her legs moving as Zoë led her forward by her hand. They were heading to the nearest city after their home had been destroyed by bandits and thieves, but it looked like they would die before they'd ever reach the city gates. Entire days spent walking, and yet the dirt road stretched out still miles ahead of them with no end in sight._

 _Calypso had never felt so alone in her life. Her parents were gone, and she'd already accepted the fact that she'd probably never see them again. Even Zoë had become distant and cold, though Calypso could hardly blame her. Her older sister had to not only worry about surviving as an eight year old all alone with nothing, she had to take care of her five year old sibling as well._

 _The thought of being a burden nearly brought a new tear to Calypso's eyes. If she didn't exist, she was sure Zoë wouldn't have so much trouble surviving as the pair struggled now. She wouldn't have had to give the only piece of bread she'd found to Calypso, and she wouldn't have to stop to rest every few hours._

 _The truth was Calypso only slowed Zoë down, and they both seemed to know it. An awkward tension filled the air as they trudged along in silence. Calypso had learned to keep her mouth shut after Zoë had snapped at her for asking "how much further" one too many times._

 _The sky slowly turned into an orange hue as the sun started to dip below the horizon_ ― _the scene was no different from the fiery blaze of their village. The tedious days of walking of blended together so much that Calypso had lost count of how long they'd been walking, but it had to be at least a week. Scavenging food had become impossible the further they got away from the villages, and the girls were more likely to be prey than hunt for their own food._

 _And so the girls stopped to rest for the night, turning away from the road and settling into the edge of the forest along the dirt path. They found a good hiding spot, and simply prayed that they wouldn't be set upon by wolves._

 _They'd both collapsed against the tree trunk the second they were out of sight from the road, hidden by the thick underbrush and leaves. They were no different from two lost puppies separated from their mother_ ― _alone and afraid in the world._

 _That night, Calypso made up her mind._

 _After Zoë's snores had begin to sound through the quiet night, Calypso gathered what energy she had left and crawled from their hiding spot. With one last teary look towards her sister, Calypso turned and ran into the forest, determined to get as far away as possible._

 _On the inside she couldn't have been more terrified; her five year old mind running through all the possible dangers in the forests. The stories Zoë used to tell her about the monsters weren't helping in the slightest bit. But in the end, if Zoë was able to survive all by herself without having to worry about her useless sister, than Calypso can rest easy knowing she wasn't a burden to the very end._

 _And so she ran, further and further away from the last of her family._

 _Her thin and short legs burned as they threatened to fold beneath her, and yet she pushed on, hours into the night. When the exhaustion of her body had finally overtaken the will of her mind, she collapsed into a heap, falling gracelessly to the ground._

 _All she could see was the dim moonlight in the darkness of the forest, all she could feel was the pain in her limbs and the dirt in her mouth. She prayed for a quick end to her misery, and the world answered her calls._

 _Through the quiet night, Calypso heard a series of low growls vibrate through the air._

 _Flipping around onto her back, Calypso was met with a startling sight. Pairs of red orbs danced slowly just a few steps away from her, reflecting what little light the moon gave off. A few approached, surrounding her on all sides while more stayed further back, watching with the intense, deadly stare._

 _When they got close enough to where Calypso could feel their harsh, guttural breaths upon their skin, she glimpsed a terrifying sight of the creatures. Below the eerie red eyes was a large snout pulled back into a nasty snarl, revealing dangerously sharp canines that could easily crush her young neck._

 _These had to be the largest wolves Calypso has ever seen. Up close, she was convinced they were the monster Hellhounds from the stories. In her last moments, she wanted to be brave, but staring death in the face, Calypso couldn't help but scream for her sister one last time._

 _The last thing she remembered was a loud flap as the wind blew her hair across her face, and the circle of wolves descended upon her, ready to tear her apart._

* * *

Calypso jerked awake with a small gasp, cold sweat running down her neck and her heart beating wildly in her chest. Her cellmates spared her a sympathetic glance but offered nothing else beyond that. They were all stuck in this same situation, and they all had enough to worry about with their own problems.

It didn't help that any day could be their last in this world. Calypso remembered when there were more than thirty girls in this cell ― all young and naive like her. That number had quickly dwindled to less than ten now, all of them scared and silent.

Each day, the King and his guards came to this dungeon to pick out his prize, and every day, a girl was dragged away kicking and screaming. They dreaded the sound of footsteps approaching from the stone floors of the halls outside, but they came promptly everyday no matter how hard they prayed.

 _It wasn't hard to imagine what happened to the girls that had been taken away. There was only one thing men wanted, especially with young beautiful girls like them. With one look, Calypso could tell the King was no different from any of the other disgusting pigs she'd encountered in her journey. If it wasn't for her sister Zoë and the savior she'd met later, there was no doubt Calypso would have fallen prey to these men._

After she'd run away from Zoë into the forest that one night, it looked like the end was near for her. _She closed her eyes and awaited the sharp teeth to sink into her flesh, but instead, she only heard a slight whimpering of pain from the wolves as the rest scattered into the forest._

 _Turning around and blinking her eyes open, she was met with the greenest orbs she'd ever seen. Calypso would never forget the night she'd met Perseus._

 _Amidst the fear, confusion, and exhaustion, she had finally collapsed into unconsciousness, face-planting into the dirt ground of the forest. In her helpless state, Perseus had sheltered her, protected her, and later taught her to survive._

 _But now, ten years later, she'd still not learned her lessons, even after traveling with Perseus all this time. She was the same scared little girls she used to be, praying for others to come save her. If she'd just listened to Perseus and stayed away from the city and waited for him to get back from his hunt. Instead, her curiosity led her to be captured by the King's men, who had wished to ambush Perseus._

 _A burden, that's all Calypso had managed to become, all that she was born to be._

In her pit of self-loathing, Calypso barely heard the familiar sound of footsteps from the halls outside before the thick iron doors squeaked open to allow a bright light to infiltrate the dark dungeon.

The round silhouette in the doorway was without a doubt that of the King's, and he had come once again to claim his prize for the day.

All Calypso could do was close her eyes and curl into a ball in an attempt to hide herself from the King's sights. They'd learned long ago that the more defiant you acted, the more likely the King was to choose you. _The sick bastard probably enjoyed girls that fought back._

However, her luck seemed to run out this time around as the footsteps came to a stop right in front of her, and Calypso could feel the flame of the torch upon her face as the guards held it up to illuminate her. She squinted through the light to see the wormy eyes of the King rake over her body with a perverted smirk upon his lips.

Calypso shuddered in disgust and nearly vomited in revulsion had they not been starved for days. Her body began to shake as her mind began conjuring up thoughts of what the King would do to her. Calypso couldn't have imagined a more miserable experience to lose her maidenhood.

At the age of fifteen, she understood exactly what that meant and how painful it could be for young girls. It was not the first time she wished Perseus had taken her seriously instead of waving her off as friendly and flirtatious.

Even now, she yearned for him ― for Perseus to take her and hold her in his arms. Perseus would do so with brotherly love, but Calypso could imagine the touch of a lover's hold if she closed her eyes and thought hard enough.

It was hard not to fall for Perseus over the years. He had treated her like family, and protected her as if she was his own. Calypso couldn't remember, but at some point, her flirtation shifted from friendly to serious, and Perseus' flustered expressions only drove her further even if he tried to play the older brother card.

But now, all of that seemed to be a distant dream. No matter how strong Perseus was, there was no way he would be able to save her now.

Calypso was broken out of her thoughts by the gravelly voice of the King.

"My, my, I could see why Perseus took such an interest in you." Gabriel pointed out, "Didn't think I'd forget about you did I? How could I for such a beauty?"

Calypso grimaced as Gabriel's fingers caressed her chin, forcing their eyes to meet. He was so close Calypso could smell the stench of wine on his breath and practically feel the lust in his eyes.

"It's a shame he never got to enjoy a prize such as yourself," Gabriel said with false remorse, "Fear not, I promise to make up for the lost opportunity. By the time I'm done, you'd have forgotten all about your little Perseus."

"You'll never be as good as Perseus," Calypso shot back, "You're nothing like him."

Gabriel's crooked lips twitched into an amused smile before he broke out in a maniacal laughter. "Nothing like him?" Gabriel struggled through his laughs, "You know, in another world, we'd have all been one family. I may not have squirted him into his mother, but I was his father. I took in him and his mother off the streets and gave them a life."

"You're not his father." Calypso spat defiantly, "Not now, never was, never will be."

"Oh?" Gabriel raised an eyebrow at the girl's response, "So Perseus told you what happened when he was younger… Never thought he trusted you so much. Well, that just makes you all the more valuable to me. You're gonna lead Perseus straight to me, once my soldiers defeat him and the hunters of course. You should know that no one gets away from me."

Calypso gave a small smile despite her fatigued state. "But you'll never get Perseus. Your soldiers are no match for him, and he's probably long gone by now. No one will ever catch him."

"That's where you're wrong little girl." Gabriel responded with false sympathy, "For all you claim to know Perseus, you severely underestimate his loyalty to those he cares for. Even when he was a little boy, half the age you are now, he'd always been a loyal little bastard… Do you want to know what he did after he watched me kill his mother?"

Calypso didn't grace this sadistic bastard with a response and only stared back with hatred in her eyes.

"He didn't cry… he didn't scream… he didn't run… No. He raged. That little squirt of a boy grabbed a sword taller than he was and tried to take my head off. Surprised the bloody hell out of me… he nearly could have." Gabriel reminisced as if it was a fond memory. "Of course, you can't blame me for being cut up by a seven year old. I still had my cock buried in his dead mother, and any man with his cock still out is no match in a fight even to a kid."

"But when I got my breeches up, that's when he had no choice left but to run. In all his rage he still kept his head. He ran from me and my soldiers not from fear but with a promise of revenge and to fight another day." Gabriel continued, "Perseus will be back, and I won't let him escape this time."

Calypso smirks looking down at the weak man hovering above her. "You're afraid of him." She revealed, "Even when he was a boy, you hid behind your soldiers and guards, imagine what he'd do to you now. You're nothing more than a coward."

Gabriel's demeanor shifted as easily as the winds in the open seas. His smirk faded into a deep scowl as he ground his teeth together in rage. With a quick swing of his hand, a loud smack echoed through the quiet chamber, the slap causing Calypso's head to whip around.

"Don't think you're safe now just because of your little lover's still out there." Gabriel threatened. "I need you alive, but I don't need you whole. Maybe I'll fuck you until you scream just as I did to his mother. I'm sure he'll still want you back even if you're a bit less… pure."

Calypso jerked as she felt a meaty hand grope the skin on her stomach before they forced their way past her waistband and into her breeches. Tears fell from her eyes as she tried to escape Gabriel's hold but the chain on her wrist and ankle held tight to the stone wall, not budging an inch. She tried to squeeze her legs shut, but his probing fingers dug between her thighs and forced their way inside of her. Calypso cried out in pain and disgust, wishing not for the first time Perseus would kill this man.

The rest of the girls chained in the dungeon can only watch in sadness and sympathy at the girl being violated in the corner. There wasn't even a semblance of rage left within them; it was best to keep to themselves lest they draw the King's interest.

Gabriel seemed to be pleased with what he found as he let out a small sadistic smile. "The girl yesterday had been a virgin as well, but you are considerably tighter. This will make the experience all the more… pleasurable, unfortunately for you however."

Gabriel let out a few moans as his fingers continued to worm its way around Calypso's nether lips.

"P-please stop…" Calypso cried, begging between her sobs.

"Ha, where did all of your bravado from earlier disappear to?" Gabriel mocked as his fingers attacked relentlessly, "Mmmh, such a fine prize, perhaps I'll even let my men have a go before I'm done with you."

Calypso could only shake her head in fear. _Please… Perseus. Help me._ Calypso closed her eyes and sent a final prayer to her savior.

The door to the dungeon burst open interrupting Gabriel from his sadism. Her call had been answered but not by who she'd hoped for, as one of Gabriel's advisors came rushing into the chamber.

"You have the worst of timing you know that, Zachary? I was just about to enjoy myself, this better be important." Gabriel complained.

"Your grace," The man began, lowering into a respectful bow, "There's urgent news. The Second General has returned from his mission; he awaits you in the throne room."

"...tch…" Gabriel spat before standing up from his position, "Don't think this is over, I'm saving you for the last when I'll get my time to enjoy you. But for now I guess I'll have to settle for someone else."

"Guards!" The King called over his shoulder, "Bring the girl next to her to my chambers. I'll be using her once I'm done talking with the General."

Gabriel gave one last wicked glance at Calypso before walking out of the dungeon, leaving the girls in shock and the girl next to her with her eyes wide in fear. Without a second of hesitation, two guards approached the frightened girl next to Calypso and unchained her binds. She put on a fierce struggle of screaming and thrashing, but she was no match for two grown men.

Calypso could only lay there, crumpled against the wall and her body shaking in soft sobs. She wanted to be brave, but she was that five year old once again scared and alone in the forest. No one else in the dungeon dared to move or speak out against the horrifying act and only sat in silence and mourning as the screams of the poor nameless girl echoed through the stone halls outside.

The advisor, Zachary, gave an indifferent cursory glance at the girls before he too followed the King out of the dungeon and towards the throne room. _The poor girl would likely get the brunt of the King's anger once he hears the bad news from the Second General. It would be another long night if the girl was going to scream like that the whole time._

A few stairwells later, and the pair arrived at the main hall with guards aligned along each side of the wall. Zachary followed along three paces behind the King. Before long, they arrived at the throne room.

Tall oakwood doors creaked open as the King and his advisor strode in, followed by all the guards standing to attention. The man in question, General Matthew, bowed at the sight of the King.

"Your grace."

"What is it General?" The King questioned in slight ire, "You're back earlier than expected… and much more empty handed. What happened to the people you were to capture? The hunters? Perseus?"

"Your grace…" The general continued hesitantly, "The were gone by the time the troops arrived. Our scouts reported that after their brief skirmish in the Gods wood, they simply… vanished."

"What do you mean they vanished?" Gabriel raged, "W-what like magic? That they just disappeared into thin air?"

The general gulped slightly, trying his best to avoid the anger of the King, which was currently directed straight at him.

"I-I'm not sure, Your Grace." He stuttered, "The soldiers combed through the entire forest but found no signs of them."

A yell of frustration pierced the throne room as Gabriel let his anger be known. Luckily for the general, Zachary interrupted before the situation got out of hand.

"Your grace, if I may," Zachary began, risking the chance of the King's anger being redirected at him, "The first General's army have surely reached the hunter's camp by now. All we have to do is wait. Once we capture the main force of the hunters, the rest who were on that mission will come to us. And so will Perseus as long as we hold that girl captive." His reasoning began to sink through to the King as his demeanor calmed slightly. "Worry not, your grace. We still hold the upper hand, and in no time, all will be yours. All we have to do is wait." He repeated.

After a moment's deliberation, Gabriel finally broke the silence. "Very well then. You better pray the first general return much more successful than you, Matthew, or there'll be hell to pay." The King warned before striding out of the throne room.

"And Zachary…" Gabriel added at the last moment, "No more interruption for the day, do you understand me?"

"Yes, of course your grace."

Gabriel gave a satisfied smile before he stalked off to his chambers, wondering what pleasures his new toy will bring him tonight.

* * *

Artemis held still with bated breath as she watched Gabriel's army slowly pour out of the thin woods where their camp had been. Hundreds of soldiers marching neatly in formation through the rough terrain. _These trained soldiers_ ― _disciplined and well-equipped_ ― _were shaping up to be the Hunt's most formidable foe in quite a while._ Artemis glanced around, making sure all of her hunters were in position.

Any second slower in retreating and the Hunt would have been surrounded in an instant, though their current predicament was hardly better. The rocky mountain the hunters had retreated to had only one way up from ground before it leveled out to a small plains punctuated by a steep cliff on the other side. It was the only way for the enemy to attack, but the hunter's escape option was nonexistent with the cliff being the only other way down.

The Hunt had hidden themselves behind the large boulders that walled each side of the narrow path up the mountain, ready to ambush the enemy at any moment. But judging by the enemy's cautious but direct march towards their position, they were most likely not fooling anybody. Their opponent must've had their own scouts, and they knew as well as the hunters did that the cliff only cut off the Hunt's potential escape. The army marched forward at a slow pace, knowing they had the hunters cornered.

Gabriel truly managed to catch her on her heels. Artemis had suspected some foul play, but she never expected something of this magnitude. And now she, along with her hunters, would have to pay the price of her ignorance.

Even if they somehow avoided defeat here at the cliff, the Hunt could still be seriously decimated. In their haste, they had left behind their supplies and gold back at their camp. Should the hunters break out of the enemy's lines, Artemis doubt they'd be able to return to their camp for their belongings ― that is if they were still there to begin with and Gabriel's soldiers hadn't already ransacked everything.

The only thing the hunters had plenty of at the moment were weapons. _Arrows, daggers, throwing knives…_ It gave Artemis some sort of relief knowing each hunter was at least strapped with their complete gear, ready for a drawn-out battle if it comes down to that.

It was a shame the Hunt was split in this mission. Had they been together, perhaps the situation wouldn't be so bad. Artemis would have two of her best hunters by her side in Zoë and Phoebe, and maybe her Lieutenant could've come up with a better idea than cornering themselves like this. But now, Artemis could only pray the other group of hunters hadn't fallen into the same trap she had. Afterall, Zoë did take most of the best hunters with her, leaving only a few skilled fighters with Artemis to protect camp. If they wanted to survive this ambush right now, Artemis and those skilled few would have to bear the weight of this fight.

A whisper from a huntress beside her brought Artemis' attention back to the present. She shifted her focus to the army approaching the foot of the hill, studying the soldiers and formation for any points of weakness.

 _Chainmail armor, large tower shields, and long pikes. The phalanx formation was hardly a new tactic. When deployed correctly, it served as a well oiled man-slaughtering machine out in the open fields. Their long pikes able to pierce and keep enemies out of range; their wall of shields able to create a turtle shell protecting them from projectiles._

This was the worst possible enemy for the Hunt, had they been out on open ground. The hunters would be able to do nothing as their arrows bounced off their shields and their bodies pierced by pikes.

However, the front line of pikemen came to a halt as their infantry swordsmen replaced them on the frontlines. These soldiers had much smaller round shields and wielded a short sword in one hand.

It seems the man commanding the army had a rather sharp head on top of his shoulders and was quite the study of war tactics.

A phalanx, Artemis had actually hoped they'd attack with that formation. It was a force to be reckoned with on flat ground, but with their large boulders and sloped terrain, the long pikes would do no better than get in their own way. Compounded by the fact that the path up the small rocky mountain was five men wide at most, Artemis could have nearly called the victory right then and there.

The swordsmen, however, was a much different case. They were far more suited to the environment ― carrying mobility with their short swords, but also enough protection against the Hunt's archers.

Artemis scanned the field for the general commanding this army. Taking him out may be their best chance at this point. She'd seen the chaos soldiers can devolve into once their commanding officer was taken out. They may be well trained and disciplined, but all soldiers adhered strictly to the chain of command. Without it, they would be nothing more than ordinary men, lacking cohesion and obedience.

Artemis squinted her eyes for any sign of a general, and was disappointed to find the man stationed upon his horse near the edge of the woods, behind his entire army and surrounded by guards.

 _Well, there goes that option._ Artemis cursed her luck. _A skilled tactician on top of being a coward… comes hand in hand in this situation, I suppose._

She scanned the rest of the approaching army as they settled in at the foot of the mountain, closing the path off completely. The brunt of the force consisted mainly of the infantry swordsmen, who have all by now filtered to the front of the army. The phalanx of pikemen have settled near the rear of the army, forming a large half circle around the entrance, preventing any escape.

It was a tactic Artemis had rarely seen before ― having the infantry in front and the impenetrable wall of the phalanx behind them. Their enemy seemed really determined and confident the battle would end here. Mixed in among the infantry were crossbowmen, numbering just under twenty or so.

They would be the huntress's immediate threat once they get within range. The hunters may be skilled, but their reliance on mobility meant they were hardly armored at all. In this situation being trapped on this mountain, they would be sitting ducks for the enemy marksmen.

Artemis gave a silent signal to her hunters, pointing towards the crossbowmen at the bottom of the cliff. They would be the immediate priority to take out if the hunters wanted any chance of coming out of this alive. Luckily for them, the targets were just within range. The longbows equipped by the hunt are capable of outshooting crossbows, and paired with the deadly marksmanship of the hunters, their enemy was hopelessly outmatched in this regard.

The thirty or so hunters all readied their bows, nocked their arrows, and simply waited for Artemis' signal. If they were able to take out the enemies long range weapons before even engaging in combat, the Hunt would drastically increase their chances at winning.

"Artemis!" A man yelled from a distance. The general's voice had carried crisply across the clearing and up the small mountain. And for the moment, the two forces stood unmoving as if two beasts crouched with their muscles taut, ready to spring into action.

"Surrender now!" He continued, "And perhaps your hunters will be given a chance to live. Refuse, and you'll be slaughtered to your last member. Consider my words, Artemis, you'll not get a better offer."

 _Artemis recognized the mans words for what they really were_ ― _a scripted lie. If they surrendered right now, she doubt any of them would survive anyways. Maybe they'd take them prisoner, but that option seemed even less desirable than dying on the battlefield. Especially if she could guess what sick things the King has planned for them._

Silence reigned once again as the echoes of the man's words died down. The only sounds were the birds chirping, the winds blowing, and the river running below the cliff of the mountain.

 _No response._ Artemis decided to test what the enemy would do next. Each side had laid a trap and was waiting for the other to make the first move.

Growing impatient, the general yelled, "Perhaps, you care not for what happens to your hunters, Artemis" He taunted, "I'm sure the King won't mind if my men and I got to enjoy the goods before we handed them over to him. Maybe I'll even give you the honor of laying with me."

Artemis didn't even have to look to see the sick smirk on the man's face. He wished to get a rise out of her, but Artemis refused to take the bait. She had been foolish enough already in this entire endeavor, she was not about to put her hunters in jeopardy because of her stupid pride.

Peeking between the slim crack of two large boulders, Artemis drew and fired an arrow into the enemy, giving the signal to the rest of her hunters to fire as well. Her arrow struck hard and true, piercing through the eye of a crossbowman, who died before he could shout in pain. Her hunters had struck true as well, each of their arrows burying their way into their targets, and within seconds, the enemies long range capabilities were decimated.

Artemis allowed herself to relax a little bit, knowing she no longer had to worry about projectiles from afar. That was only their enemies concerns now. All she and the hunters had to worry about were the large bodies of the infantry men in front of them.

Seeing their comrades fall silently without a whimper sent a moment's panic throughout the army. But their discipline took over, and within seconds, they were once again in formation. This time, with their round shields raised high above their heads to deflect any incoming projectiles. The succeeding volleys of arrows that followed the first were much less effective, bouncing harmlessly off of their shields and armor. Only an unfortunate few had arrows slip into the chink in their armor.

Slowly, yet surely, the hunters began picking off the enemies numbers. But how long would they manage to hold off for before the army storms the mountain and overwhelms them? This wasn't enough. The enemy had already began their way up the narrow path of the mountain. They were advancing at a rapid pace, despite not being able to fit more than ten men across.

Artemis cursed softly. _This wasn't going to be a pretty fight._ Blood will be spilled from both sides at the end of this, and Artemis can only pray they'd spill more of their enemies' than their own.

At their pace, the soldiers would be upon them in no time. Trying to pick them off with archers alone wasn't enough. Their enemy was much too well protected; the hunters would need to engage them in close combat.

Luckily for Artemis, even though she didn't have her best hunters in Zoë and Phoebe with her, some of her most skilled pure close combat fighters were still with her today.

"Thalia, Clarisse!" Artemis called out, drawing their immediate attention, "With me now! We'll meet the enemy at where the path up the mountain is narrowest."

They gave a quick nod to her order and strapped their bows back behind their shoulders. The pair of huntresses grabbed their signature weapons before running after their mistress down the mountain pass. The two girls were vicious warriors, each fought with a similar style using a large, round body shield and a deadly spear. In a close quarter fight, the two had no competition among the hunters except for each other. Artemis had lost count of the times she had to break up a draw between the two, but those capabilities were going to help them in the situation.

"Hunters!" Artemis commanded before she headed down the mountain to meet the incoming army, "Thalia, Clarisse, and I will create openings in their formation. The rest of you take up positions along the top of the cliffs and continue to pick them off. Stay hidden with the terrain and keep the height advantage."

They all gave a nod, each understanding the duty placed upon them. In this moment, they weren't mercenaries fighting for money or completing a mission anymore. They were all fighting for their own lives, and any failure would mean the death of one of their sisters or themselves.

"Stay strong hunters. We will see the end of the day." Artemis gave one last encouragement before turning and leading Thalia and Clarisse down the rocky mountain path, the pair of huntresses following without any hesitation or question. Looks of determination settled on their faces as they traversed the difficult terrain.

Finally, they turned and twisted through the terrain to their destination, where the walls of stone on each side of the path narrowed into a bottleneck. The width of the pass was cut down to barely three man across. This would be where they would make their stand, the perfect location for Artemis, Thalia, and Clarisse.

Artemis turned back around to see the rest of her hunters peeking out from behind the large boulders at the top of the cliff, about a hundred meters up from their location. _Perfect. This bottleneck would be in clear range of the rest of our archers, and we still have a significant amount of distance to retreat should we need._

Artemis gave a resolute nod to the pair standing next to her before they all faced the opening with anticipation. Thalia and Clarisse stood a step in front of her, crouched slightly behind their large shields with their spears propped against the side, pointing intimidatingly in front of them.

Artemis stood with a more relaxed stances, hands rested upon her twin daggers that she was so lethal with. Artemis may not be the Spartan-like killing machines that Thalia and Clarisse were, but she could certainly hold her own in a hand-to-hand fight. Her quickness and agility with her daggers more than made up for the lack of pure strength and brutality.

It was hard to know who would really win in a fight between the three of them, but that was a fact that reassured Artemis ― knowing she had two deadly fighters by her side.

At last, the first of the enemy forces appeared around the bend of the rocky path, less than fifty meters before they would reach the bottleneck. They had caught sight of the three huntresses as well, it seems, as they began charging towards them. Artemis felt her heart begin to pound as the adrenaline rushed through her system.

Masked helmets, small round shields, short swords… it truly looked like an army of gladiators charging right at them.

Sending one last prayer to the rest of their sisters, the three huntresses met the charging stampede at the rocky neck, sprinting full force down the slopes of the mountain pass.

Thalia and Clarisse reached the enemy first, crashing hard into the charging men with their large shields. The front lines of infantrymen were sent flying by the two bulldozers, using their superior momentum from the higher ground. With a series of matching warcries, the pair began twirling and decimating the enemies, knocking them to the ground and tearing the shields off their arms.

Almost synchronously without pause, the bodies of their enemies with filled with arrows even before they hit the ground. Artemis smiled slightly at the rest of her hunters before she too joined the fray.

In comparison to the brute viciousness Thalia and Clarisse displayed, Artemis' fluid dance with her daggers was a stark contrast, but equally lethal. She slipped between the guard of enemy soldiers and sidestepped their slashes with practiced grace. Her hunters finishing off any of her downed enemies with arrows through their flesh.

Artemis spared a glance towards Thalia and Clarisse to find them holding their ground as well. Piles of corpses had already begin to litter the ground around them, their bodies stuffed with arrows like a pincushion.

The two girls may have had a tense rivalry in the Hunt, but here on the battlefield, they were an unstoppable force. The two had their backs against one another, spinning and twirling in a whirlwind of destruction.

Artemis did her best to stay out of their way, defending the other half of the path. She frowned slightly in frustration even as she continued to cut down the enemy forces with long range cover from her hunters. It seemed like no matter how much or how fast the three hunters mowed down their enemy, more men took their places, and the beat marched on for the soldiers.

Surely enough, Artemis and the two spear-wielding huntresses were slowly being pushed back, the enemies sheer numbers and continuous stream of soldiers forcing them up the mountain. This was what Artemis had feared ― if they continue to be forced back, all that will face them at the end of the road was the steep cliff over the peak of the mountain. _Certain death waited for the hunters either way._

Artemis realized this fact quickly as she scanned the situation with her tactful eyes. She recognized a losing situation when she saw one, and their current predicament was quickly slipping out of her hands. She had hoped that the narrow pinch in the rocky pass would allow them to hold off the enemy, but that only lasted so long.

Even Thalia and Clarisse had begun to struggle, slowly being separated from one another as the enemy soldiers looked to surround them individually.

Artemis grit her teeth in frustration and made her decision to regroup and set up a better position to defend further up the mountain.

"Thalia! Clarisse!" Artemis shouted over the constant clash and clang of the shields against the metal blades. "Fall back!"

The pair obeyed her command without a single glance, in part due to them not having any wasted movements to spare. One mistake can cause them their lives ― with enemies surrounding them on all sides, a misstep could easily lead to a swift demise.

Try as they may, Thalia and Clarisse struggled to even retreat at this point. The enemy soldiers had evidently picked up on Artemis' intentions as well, and began swarming the pair with even more intensity, determined to finish the hunters here and now.

Artemis saw her hunters being trapped and knew they wouldn't be able to break away from the enemy by themselves. The leader of the Hunt reached down to the holster strapped on her thighs, and with a few flicks of her wrist, Artemis tomahawked a barrage of throwing knives towards the enemies that were cutting off the escape route for Thalia and Clarisse.

A series of _swish_ sounds carried to Artemis' ear as she watched the small but sturdy blades sink into their enemies, exploiting flesh exposed by chinks in their armor. And without a second of hesitation, Thalia and Clarisse shoved aside the pincushion corpses, and burst through the gaps in the enemy lines. Before the soldiers can even react, the hunters had escaped their encirclement and retreated back up the mountain.

Artemis gave a wave of her twin daggers above her head, and the rest of the hunters picked up on her signal immediately. The army of soldiers giving fierce chase behind them were met instead with volleys upon volleys of arrows raining down from the sky. The continuous bombardment left them no choice but to slow their ascent and reestablish their shielded formation.

Finally the trio of hunters had retreated back up to the last defensible position on the mountain. Thalia and Clarisse both took a moment to catch their breaths and wipe the blood from their face. They shared a silent look between them, conveying an understanding of their dire situation but also an acceptance of their duty.

They both knew that now they were just delaying the inevitable ― it would take a miracle for them to somehow turn the tide of this battle. And this final position, while still an advantage, was far less defensible than the position they had earlier. It was the last stretch of the path before it widened out into a small flat plain atop the cliffs. If they let the enemy reach those plains, the hunters were as good as finished.

It seemed like a scene fit for a last stand. The tall grass fields on the flat plains atop the cliff, the rocky path leading up to it was like the path up to the Fields of Asphodel.

Artemis let out a small sigh momentarily giving into her fate. She hung her head in slight defeat, but she couldn't give up now. Not for the hunters she now called family… not after everything she'd been through. Behind her, Artemis heard some shuffling and turned to find most of her hunters joined in force.

They all had their hunting daggers drawn and their quivers discarded. No doubt, their arrows had run out after those volleys.

"M'lady," One of the hunters reported in an uncertain voice, "The arrows are nearly depleted. Only a few archers remain in their positions, but even then it wouldn't be long before their ammunition runs out."

Artemis gave a small nod in acceptance. "Thank you, Naomi." She whispered, before turning to the rest of her hunters gathered before her.

"Hunters!" Artemis exclaimed, preparing to rally her hunters one last time, "Fear not of the deaths knocking at our doors… of the evil men who seek to destroy us. Have faith in each other. Protect each other. If fighting to our death is the only way to rebel against this cruel world, then we'll bravely stare death in the face."

The enemy forces made their way around the final bend before they came into view before the hunters. They marched on robotically, pouring forwards as if it were an undead apocalypse as Artemis' speech continued. "Rage, my fellow hunters! Lay you your lives down on the line. The fight ends here and now."

With those last words, Artemis and the hunters behind her braced themselves for the onslaught of enemies ascending towards them.


End file.
